TikTok and the US Finally Reach a Deal, but Has the Damage Already Been Done for Creators?

After years of uncertainty, TikTok’s future in the United States finally appears to be stabilising. ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, has signed binding agreements with a group of American and global investors to operate the platform’s US business, according to a memo sent to employees by CEO Shou Zi Chew.

The deal, expected to close on the 22nd January, creates a new joint venture in which ByteDance will retain a 19.9% stake. The remaining ownership will be split among US and global investors, including Oracle, Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi-based MGX, alongside affiliates of existing ByteDance investors.

For Washington, the agreement resolves years of national security concerns. For TikTok, it means the app avoids a looming ban and can continue operating for its 170 million US users.

But for creators and influencer marketers, this moment comes after a whole year of platform uncertainty and having to rethink their streams of income.

What this means for creators and the creator economy

1. TikTok isn’t going away (for now)

The most immediate takeaway is stability. A forced sale or outright ban would have erased entire creator businesses overnight. This deal gives creators, agencies, and brands more confidence that TikTok will remain a viable platform for audience growth, monetisation, and partnerships in the US.

For marketers, it also reduces the risk of investing in TikTok-first campaigns or long-term creator relationships that could have disappeared with little notice.

2. Creators have already felt the damage

Even without a ban, creators have paid a real cost during a year of uncertainty:

Brand hesitation: Many brands paused or reduced TikTok spend, worried campaigns could be cut short or platforms shut down mid-flight.

Income instability: Creators who relied heavily on TikTok saw fluctuating earnings and were forced to diversify quickly, often without the same reach or payout elsewhere.

Burnout and platform hopping: Repeated “TikTok ban” headlines pushed creators to rebuild audiences on Instagram, YouTube, and emerging platforms, stretching time, energy, and resources.

Algorithm anxiety: Some creators believe periods of political scrutiny coincided with inconsistent reach, making planning and forecasting even harder.

In short, creators carried the risk while governments and corporations negotiated.

3. More scrutiny, more structure

Under the deal, Oracle is expected to license TikTok’s recommendation algorithm, which is a key signal that US oversight of the platform will increase.

For creators, this could mean:

• Greater transparency and compliance requirements
• Potential changes in how content is distributed or moderated
• A more “corporate” TikTok environment that favours brand-safe content

While that may reassure advertisers, some creators worry it could limit experimentation or push the platform closer to the polished feel of Instagram and YouTube.

4. The bigger lesson for influencer marketers

This saga reinforces a hard truth about the creator economy: platform dependency is a risk.

Creators who survived this period best were those who:

• Diversified income streams
• Built email lists or off-platform communities
• Expanded to multiple platforms without abandoning TikTok

Years of uncertainty slowed growth, disrupted income, and reshaped how creators think about platform loyalty.

TikTok may now be safer in the US, but creators have learned a lasting lesson: your audience is your asset, not the platform that hosts it.