Meta is offering $5,000 to TikTok creators in the US to join Facebook, Instagram

The timing of Meta’s announcement coincides with growing doubts about TikTok’s longevity in the US, particularly under the spectre of government scrutiny.

By: Express Web Desk

New Delhi | Updated: January 26, 2025 05:13 PM IST

3 min read

TikTok, which boasts 170 million users in the US, has become a livelihood for many creators. (Image: Reuters)

Meta is offering up to $5,000 (Rs 4.31 lakh) to creators in the United States who join Facebook and Instagram, in a bold move to expand its dominance across the social media landscape. The initiative, rolled out under the “Breakthrough Bonus Programme”, appears to target TikTok creators as uncertainty clouds the Chinese-owned platform’s future in the US.

The timing of Meta’s announcement coincides with growing doubts about TikTok’s longevity in the US, particularly under the spectre of government scrutiny. TikTok, which boasts 170 million users in the US, has become a livelihood for many creators. If the platform faces further restrictions or a potential ban, Meta is positioning itself as a viable alternative.

Meta’s Breakthrough Bonus Programme

Meta’s official website outlines the terms of the programme, which requires participants to post 20 original reels on Facebook and 10 on Instagram every 30 days over the first 90 days to qualify for the payout. These reels must be original, barring reposts from other platforms, and the programme is exclusive to creators entirely new to Facebook or Instagram.

Meta is also making structural changes to its platforms to mirror TikTok’s appeal. For instance, Instagram profiles now feature rectangular posts and videos instead of the traditional square format. This shift, inspired by TikTok’s vertical video layout, hasn’t been universally welcomed.

“One of the mistakes I made was not giving people enough of a heads-up,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri admitted on Threads, Meta’s platform designed to compete with Elon Musk-owned X.

Meta has also launched features like affiliate links directly on videos and a free subscription to its blue check verification system, mimicking TikTok’s successful e-commerce integrations. The Mark Zuckerberg-owned company has also introduced “Edits,” a video-editing app strikingly similar to ByteDance’s CapCut.

Applications will be approved on a case-by-case basis in the Breakthrough Bonus Programme.

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TikTok ban in the US

ByteDance has been forced to look for a buyer for TikTok after the US Supreme Court upheld the law forcing either a ban or a sale of TikTok in the US over concerns that it is owned by a “foreign adversary”, in this case, China.

Forbes reports that several billionaires and companies are interested in a deal with ByteDance, including AI search engine startup Perplexity AI, investor Kevin O’Leary, and Amazon. The Chinese government is also reportedly interested in selling TikTok to the world’s richest man and US President Donald Trump’s new confidante, Elon Musk.

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