A Week in TikTok: Creator Rewards, Search Widgets, and a Ban in Montana

This week, TikTok shared some promising new updates for brands, users, and creators, including a scheme where creators are rewarded for creating TikTok effects, and a new search widget to compete with Google.

Meanwhile, Montana became the first US state to ban the platform. We delve into the last week for TikTok, and you might want to strap in as it’s quite a bumpy ride…

The ban

Montana’s governor, Greg Gianforte, signed into law the ban on TikTok, effective 1 January 2024, arguing the move was “to protect Montanans’ personal and private data from being harvested by the Chinese Communist party.”

It must be added that the ban only makes it unlawful for Google and Apple’s app stores to offer TikTok within the state, but no penalties will be imposed on individuals using the app.

Although the ban may come as a shock to many, this is something that brands and creators have been preparing for some time, ever since the US shared its concerns about the app’s Chinese parent company ByteDance, over fears of potential security risks.

However, a group of content creators has now filed a lawsuit in an effort to block the TikTok ban in Montana, arguing that the new law violates their first amendment rights. Some of the five creators include an exercise influencer, a rancher, and a small swimwear business, with millions of followers between them.