Colorado’s TikTok creators worry about losing income, online communities with a potential U.S. ban
Lawmakers argue the move a matter of security to protect personal data from the Chinese government
The Denver Post
Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post
TikTok creators living and working in Colorado fear their incomes – and online communities – are at risk if a potential U.S. ban on the social media app moves forward.
The popular Chinese-owned app, which features a seemingly never-ending stream of short videos, means more to creators than captured moments with adorable pets or trending dances for Generation Z, also known as zoomers. Owner ByteDance Ltd. committed to pouring around $285 million over three years to pay high-performing influencers through its Creator Fund – but the real money for content creators comes from partnerships with brands.
“This is a serious source of income for me, which sounds silly,” said 32-year-old Amanda Bittner. “But, when I look at my bank account at the end of the month, that is real money that I earned.”
“I consider it a job.”
The Denver resident posts her adventures around Colorado’s capital city and beyond to her account, @theamandabittner, cultivating a following of almost 34,000 users in the process. While Bittner only made about $200 total from the Creator Fund, she estimates that she earns a monthly average of $1,000 to $2,000 from corporate partnerships with Natural Grocers, Capital One, the Dunkin’ chain and more.
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