Summary
- TikTok is motivating current US users to invite new users with TikTop Shop credits.
- The platform is also currently fighting the US government’s ban, with plans to file an appeal to be heard by the US Supreme Court.
- The platform is also facing similar regulatory hurdles in Canada.
TikTok could effectively be banned in the US starting January 19, 2025. Sideloaders will likely still be able to access TikTok, paired with VPNs, if the government decides to restrict web servers hosting TikTok. As part of a last ditch effort to expand its business and userbase in the US, and likely to garner more users that might be willing to sideload, TikTok is employing tactics that reward current users for bringing in new users and spending time on the app.
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The app that popularized short-form video content is reportedly rewarding users in the US with a “limited time offer,” as highlighted by Bloomberg. The offer, which some users have spotted on the app’s For You page, essentially rewards users with TikTok Shop credits for inviting “first-timers” to the app. Users can earn $50 in credits for the first new user they invite, alongside an additional $350 for referring more users.
It is currently unclear if the invited users need to spend money on the platform, or spend a certain amount of time on the app to make the referrer eligible for the payout. I’d imagine TikTok has certain safeguards in place, because without them, the “limited time offer” is easily exploitable.
Elsewhere, the app is currently also rewarding users for checking in every day for a week, alongside rewards for scrolling through 10 TikTok Shop items five times per week. In desperation, the app also seems to be offering users coupons worth $80 after they make a purchase in the in-app shop.
The app’s future remains uncertain in the US and Canada
This comes soon after the short-form video app’s appeal against its US ban was denied in the US, upholding the ruling that is supposed to go into effect mid-January. Now, the ByteDance-owned company plans to file an appeal against the decision by the Court of Appeals (pretty ironic) to be heard by the US Supreme Court.
In a parallel development, the platform is also challenging the Canadian government’s order to shutdown TikTok Canada’s operations. “This order would eliminate the jobs and livelihoods of our hundreds of dedicated local employees – who support the community of more than 14 million monthly Canadian users on TikTok, including businesses, advertisers, creators, and initiatives developed especially for Canada. We believe it’s in the best interest of Canadians to find a meaningful solution and ensure that a local team remains in place, alongside the TikTok platform,” wrote the platform.
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