Trump vs Tiktok: A new scenario for advertisers and content creators?

Tiktok faces his greatest crisis in the United States after the support of the Supreme Court to the law that prohibits its operation in the country unless its parent company, Bytedance, the bandage to local owners. Will it be the Asian giant finally expelled from one of its main markets?

The measure responds to national security concerns for the possible access of the Chinese government to data from US user. As a consequence, Apple and Google can no longer offer the app in their stores, and US infrastructure suppliers are prohibited from hosting their content. The result: the platform could be inoperative for its 170 million users in the US.

It is speculated with a forced sale, although there are no confirmed buyers; Among the possible interested parties are Blackstone, Amazon or even Tim Stokely, founder of Onlyfans.

In contrast, the situation in Europe is completely different. While Tiktok continues to grow in popularity; The EU has chosen to regulate instead of prohibiting. Through the new Digital Services Law (DSA), it requires all platforms higher levels of transparency, moderation of content and data protection.

To meet these demands, Tiktok launched the Project Clover, with an investment of 12,000 million euros to store data in Europe and establish transparency centers in Ireland and Norway. The bet: try to demonstrate that it can work safely and reliable in the region.

This divergence between the US and Europe raises strategic undilema for advertisers, users and creators. Will this be the first dominoes in a new era of platforms divided by geopolitical blocks?

Spanish advertisers in front of Tiktok’s crossroads

In Spain, Tiktok has established itself as a strategic ally for advertisers who want to connect massively with younger audiences. Collaborations with Content Creators and the pattern in this channel have become essential pieces in the marketing strategy of many brands. According to an IAB Spain study, Tiktok exceeded Instagram in 2023 in terms of investment in influencers, with a value of 119 million euros compared to 93 million IG, with a 66%year -on -year growth rate.

However, the threat of its disappearance in a market as decisive as that of the United States has triggered alarms in Europe and other markets, questioning the safety and stability of this network. Some global brands have already chosen to temporarily freeze or reduce their investment in Tiktok until the situation is clarified. And the consequences have not been expected: according to Adroll Q1 2025 report, the CPM in this channel has fallen up to 80%, a reflection of the spending cut of numerous advertisers on this platform.

In contrast, Pinterest has triggered its CPM up to 120%, capitalizing on that budget migration by being considered a much safer channel. Goal, on the other hand, maintains prices and demand at stable levels.

In Spain, these revolts cause a dilemma for brands. On the one hand, maintain or even reinforce the bet on Tiktok allows you to take advantage of historically low advertising costs to reach an audience whose engagement does not seem at all to be affected by all this controversy. On the other, this promise to increase the long -term ROI implies assuming a risk: since the future of this platform in Europe is now more uncertain than ever.

Given this situation, the most intelligent response for advertisers in Spain is in balance: maximizing current opportunities in Tiktok, but with a strategy that allows you to manage the risk agilely and redirect the investment quickly if the situation is complicated.

Some analyzes dare to predict that, before a possible Tiktok blackout in Europe, Instagram would absorb 22.8% of released advertising spending and Facebook 17.1%. But they would not be the only ones, the upward trend of YouTube Shorts position it as a brilliant successor on the throne: its content format is practically identical and already has a massive user base.

That the panic does not travel between the brands, if we look at the precedents, India has already prohibited Tiktok in 2020 and in a matter of weeks, the brands and the creators followed their directions normally diversifying between Instagram and YouTube Shorts.

Content Creators: The opportunity that opens uncertainty

The uncertainty that surrounds Tiktok not only worries the brands. The creators of content who have made the platform their main source of visibility and, therefore, of income, are also reacting to what could come. The recommendation for European content creators follows the same logic: take advantage of the time to get their followers to other channels to an eventual disappearance of Tiktok.

Some content creators in Spain are already actively inviting their communities to also follow them on Instagram, YouTube and even Twitch. In other words, they have already begun to diversify their content to consolidate their presence in other channels in case Tiktok disappears.

Despite this uncertainty, the scenario also presents opportunities for Spanish creators. With a potential disappearance or drastic reduction of American content in Tiktok, space would be opened for European influencers, especially Spanish speakers, to considerably increase their global reach. The Tiktok algorithm, designed to viralize content quickly in a global way, could further amplify the trends generated in Spain, thus strengthening the connection between audiences of Europe and LATAM.

For its part, Tiktok will not stay with crossed ones. It is foreseeable that, to protect its position in Europe, the platform reinforces its investments in local talent support programs, such as creative funds, specific commercial initiatives and innovative projects such as Tiktok Shop.

In short, for Spanish influencers, this context could mean not only a greater international visibility, but also new opportunities for monetization and professional growth, provided they properly manage their presence on several platforms.

Opinion article by José Villacorta – Strategy and Planning Leader, Findasense Emea