Facing a possible ban in the United States, TikTok is taking significant steps to enhance its public image and secure its future. Alongside pursuing legal action against the US government, TikTok introduced the TikTok Change Makers Program on Tuesday. This initiative features 50 global creators who aim to make a positive impact both on and off the platform.
Through this program, TikTok will support these creators and donate $25,000 to a nonprofit of each creator’s choice. Alain Labrique, a director at the World Health Organization (WHO), emphasized the program’s potential to engage broader audiences and foster creativity for meaningful advocacy and health communication.
A blog post from TikTok highlighted 10 of the participating creators, including environmental activists like Caulin Donaldson, Eli Virkina, and Franziska Trautmann, as well as motivational speakers such as Barbara Costello and Alethea Crimmins. One notable participant, Joel Bervell, creates videos addressing racial disparities in medicine and serves on a White House committee of healthcare leaders in social media.
While TikTok has not explicitly stated that this program is part of its strategy to remain operational in the US, the timing suggests it could be a critical move. This $1 million charitable initiative could improve the platform’s public perception, despite being a modest sum for a company potentially valued at up to $100 billion.
In April, President Joe Biden signed legislation that would ban TikTok unless ByteDance, its China-based parent company, sells the app. So far, ByteDance has shown no signs of complying. With TikTok’s future uncertain, the outcome may depend on various factors, including the results of the upcoming presidential election in November.
