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- Influence Weekly #422 - Global Creator Economy Regulation: What Is Scheduled For 2026
Influence Weekly #422 - Global Creator Economy Regulation: What Is Scheduled For 2026
Social Media Follower Counts Have Never Mattered Less, Creator Economy Execs Say
Nii Ahene
January 02, 2026
Spotlight Stories
Global Creator Economy Regulation: What Is Scheduled For 2026
Starbucks Partners With MrBeast For ‘Beast Games’ Season 2
CapCut Sees Surge In Everyday Creator Use In 2025 As AI Tools Drive Editing Adoption
How Genii Creators Agency Is Building A Boutique Model For Entertainment Creators
Great Reads
February 2026 will bring a packed calendar of creator economy industry events across four continents, reflecting the sector's global expansion. Web Summit Qatar will draw 30,000 attendees to Doha from February 1-4, featuring speakers including Canva Co-founder Cliff Obrecht and Runway Founder Cristobal Valenzuela.
The Association of National Advertisers will host its Creator Marketing Conference February 23-25 in Las Vegas with Pinterest as presenting sponsor, bringing together Microsoft and Unilever executives to discuss ROI measurement and partnership strategies.
EMARKETER will hold its virtual Creator Economy Summit on February 13, where Principal Analyst Max Willens will unveil 2026 creator spending forecasts revealing acceleration in shoppable content and connected TV.
Additional gatherings include NATPE Global and Realscreen Summit in Miami, TikTok Shop Connect in London, and MIP London's refreshed format at The Savoy Hotel. Full event listings available on the website.
Multiple creator economy regulations take effect in 2026, requiring new compliance measures for influencer marketing, AI content, and digital advertising. The United Kingdom's ban on paid online advertising for high-fat, sugar, and salt products launches January 5, affecting paid social media campaigns and boosted creator content.
South Korea introduces mandatory labeling for AI-generated advertising content in early 2026. New York State implements synthetic performer disclosure requirements on June 9, covering AI-generated human likenesses in commercial content distributed within the state.
The European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act transparency obligations become enforceable August 2, mandating identification of AI-generated content that could mislead users. India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act enters phased enforcement throughout 2026, affecting consent and data handling for marketing activities.
China continues enforcing qualification requirements for creators in finance, health, and education categories. The UK also updates price display and unit pricing rules on April 6, affecting affiliate marketing and creator commerce content with pricing claims.
Former YouTube executive Steven Beckman launched Further Adventures in 2025 with co-founder Ben Stillman to help creators transition from digital content to feature films and premium IP. Beckman, who served as Global Head of Creator Representation at YouTube, partnered with Stillman, who produced over 20 films at Black Bear Pictures including "I Care a Lot."
Further Adventures secured early validation when two of its films were selected for the 2026 Sundance Film Festival premiere. "If I Go, Will They Miss Me" expands on a Sundance-winning short film, while "Hot Water" marks the feature debut of Syrian-American filmmaker Ramzi Bashour.
The studio provides development, production, and financing infrastructure to creators and filmmakers looking to expand beyond YouTube's platform. Beckman cited examples like RackaRacka's transition from YouTube to Sundance recognition and Curry Barker's "Milk & Serial," which generated over one million YouTube views before his next project sold for $15 million. The company emphasizes creative autonomy while providing resources traditionally reserved for established filmmakers.
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Campaign Insights
Creator economy executives reported that social media follower counts became less relevant in 2025 as algorithmic feeds dominated content distribution. LTK CEO Amber Venz Box stated that algorithms "completely took over" in 2025, making followings irrelevant since posts no longer reach followers directly.
Despite concerns about audience fragmentation, a Northwestern University study commissioned by LTK found trust in creators increased 21% year-over-year. The study showed 97% of chief marketing officers planned to grow influencer marketing budgets. LTK connects creators with brands through affiliate marketing commissions.
Industry executives identified "clipping" as creators' new strategy to combat algorithmic limitations. Karat Financial co-founder Eric Wei described how creators pay teenagers to create and distribute content clips across platforms. Top streamers including Kai Cenat employed this tactic to generate millions of impressions through multiple accounts posting highlights.
TikTok launched GamePlan, a product suite designed to help sports teams, leagues, and broadcasters convert fan engagement into ticket sales and other business results. The platform connects fans through anchor links on videos to dedicated destinations where users can discover official accounts, check schedules, buy tickets, and create content.
GamePlan includes analytics dashboards that track fan behavior and trending conversations, along with post campaigns and incentive hubs designed to encourage fan-created content. Users can add games to calendars and purchase tickets directly through the app.
TikTok commissioned research from Ipsos in September 2025 that found 85% of sports fans use TikTok as a second-screen experience during live events. The study showed 90% of users take at least one off-platform action after viewing sports content.
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen launched limited-time digital-only meal bundles in December 2025 featuring seven content creators, available exclusively through its mobile app and website. The campaign included Twitch streamers and YouTubers Agent00, Cinna, ExtraEmily, FaZe Lacy, RaKai, Tori, and CookingWithKya, with each creator offering custom meal combinations that cannot be ordered in-store.
The bundles featured various chicken products and sides at different price points. The campaign included giveaways of 400 Twitch subscriptions per participating streamer and promoted Popeyes' Build Your Own Bundle option for $20 via digital channels.
The digital-only ordering requirement created operational issues when the campaign initially launched in August 2025. Customers attempting to order creator bundles in physical stores encountered confusion, with employees stating they were unaware of the promotion. Creator Cinna posted on X about customers messaging him after being unable to order in-store, while FaZe Lacy experienced similar difficulties during a livestream when a Popeyes employee denied knowledge of his branded bundle despite official promotional materials.
Starbucks formed a partnership with MrBeast for the second season of "Beast Games: Strong vs. Smart," which debuts on Amazon Prime Video on January 7, 2026. The coffee chain will provide 24/7 access to its standard menu for 200 contestants competing for a $5 million prize at Beast City, the show's living quarters.
Starbucks will launch the Cannon Ball Drink on January 14, combining its Strawberry Açaí and Mango Dragonfruit Refreshers with lemonade and fruit inclusions. The limited-time beverage was created on set and will be featured in a "Survivor" crossover episode airing the same day.
TikTok Shop launched digital gift cards in the United States, allowing users to purchase cards valued between $10 and $500 with personalized animated designs. The feature delivers gift cards via email to recipients with TikTok accounts, instantly crediting the value to their TikTok Balance upon redemption. TikTok plans to add video message capabilities by early 2026.
The launch followed TikTok Shop's record Black Friday performance, generating over $500 million in sales during the four-day Black Friday and Cyber Monday period. The platform reported nearly 50% more shoppers compared to the same 2024 period, with creator affiliates posting nearly 10 million shoppable videos during the campaign.
TikTok and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation extended their partnership for the 2025/26 season, launching TikTok's first global winter sports posting campaign. The renewal followed last season's results when content across FIS channels reached more than 400 million views.
The partnership designates TikTok as FIS's official entertainment partner, providing coverage across nine competition accounts featuring Alpine Skiing, Ski Jumping, and Snowboard Freestyle for FIS's 141 member nations. Last season marked substantial growth with FIS increasing post volume by 1,670% while follower counts grew 640%.
The global #wintersport campaign invites fans from 15 countries to upload winter sports videos through February 2, 2026. First prize includes a trip for two to the FIS Moguls Final in Azerbaijan valued at up to €8,000, with second prize offering €500 VIP tickets and third prize providing €1,000 ski equipment.
The agreement extends TikTok's sports portfolio alongside existing partnerships with Major League Soccer, the NFL, and the ATP Tour.
TikTok Shop reached 200,000 UK small and medium business sellers in 2025, alongside retailers including Marks & Spencer, Samsung, QVC, Clarks, and Sainsbury's. The platform recorded 27 items sold per second on Black Friday and saw 50% sales growth during the Black Friday-Cyber Monday period compared to 2024.
London-based jewelry brand L'ERA projected approximately £145,000 in TikTok revenue for 2025, nearly doubling year-over-year, with their largest single order exceeding £1,400. Sainsbury's sold out of Christmas pajamas within one week after a sponsored collaboration generated 6.6 million views, while M&S reported one sale every 30 seconds during recent livestreams.
Interesting People
Former CNBC journalist Uptin Saiidi sold his creator-led agency UP10 Media to UAE-based Augustus Media in December 2025. The acquisition folded UP10 Media into Augustus Media's production arm ODEUM, dissolving the UP10 brand while expanding ODEUM's digital-first capabilities. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Saiidi, who has 3 million followers across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook with over 1 billion views, founded UP10 Media in 2020 after leaving CNBC. The agency specialized in user-generated content style videos for social platforms. Data showed Saiidi's personal content views dropped 25-30% during an eight-month agency contract period, highlighting the challenge of managing both creator and CEO roles simultaneously.
The sale allows Saiidi to focus entirely on content creation and long-form storytelling projects. He cited the agency's narrow focus on UGC-style content as a key factor that made it attractive to buyers, rejecting opportunities to expand into influencer marketing, SEO, and other services. Augustus Media operates dozens of content channels with millions of followers, aligning with UP10's creator-first approach.
Beauty creator Toni Bravo built her creator business through product collaboration partnerships and strategic brand alignment. Bravo started posting TikTok videos in 2022 after graduating college and joining Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty as a social media employee. Her content focused on makeup experimentation rather than tutorials.
Bravo onboarded management in late 2022 before transitioning to full-time content creation. She collaborated with clean beauty brand Tower 28 on a year-long co-creation project to expand the company's blush shade range, involving product sampling, feedback, shade development, and campaign execution.
The creator worked previously at BuzzFeed before joining Rare Beauty. Her content approach emphasizes authenticity over performance, with videos documenting her learning process in real time. Bravo has partnered with multiple beauty and fashion brands, selecting collaborations based on brand compatibility rather than volume. She maintains boundaries around privacy and content sharing, choosing not to document personal projects like home renovation in real time.
TikToker Nathan Apodaca discussed the lasting impact of his viral September 2020 video featuring him drinking Ocean Spray cranberry juice while skateboarding to Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams." The video reached 7 million views within hours and led to direct contact from Mick Fleetwood, who recreated the clip and later called Apodaca to sing him happy birthday.
The viral moment generated multiple revenue streams for Apodaca, who goes by doggface208 online. He secured an acting debut in 2022 on FX's "Reservation Dogs" and collaborated with Snoop Dogg, Cheech & Chong, George Lopez, and Dr. Miami on music projects. The partnerships included a remake of War's "Low Rider" with permission from the original band members.
Apodaca has expanded into speaking engagements, traveling to eight reservations across the US and Canada from 2021 to present. He continues pursuing acting roles within the Native American entertainment sector while maintaining his TikTok presence with comedy content and music collaborations.
Former police officer Mike Draper transitioned from mortgage lending to full-time content creation after beginning social media posting in early 2021 for lead generation. Draper built his creator business across TikTok and Instagram by developing repeatable content formats including millennial nostalgia videos and conversational clips.
Draper discovered that audience growth alone did not translate to expected revenue, particularly after crossing 100,000 Instagram followers. Brand partnerships became more selective by 2023, shifting focus from follower counts to audience alignment and engagement quality.
BookTok creators built profitable businesses around reading content in 2025. The hashtag accumulated over 68 million posts on TikTok, where influencers drove book sales through community engagement and social validation.
Morgann Book grew her account to 2.6 million TikTok followers and 1.2 million YouTube subscribers after starting book content in 2022. She launched Bookish Media and Off the Shelf podcast. Maddie Vaters earned almost $15,000 this year from her BookTok account with 68,700 followers, while Tina Li monetized her 54,400-follower account through brand partnerships and free books.
The community demonstrated substantial market influence on publishing. Sarah J. Maas sold approximately five million books across three series in 2024, crediting BookTok for her success. Colleen Hoover's books sold over 1.8 million copies in 2024, compared to 36,000 copies when It Ends With Us first published in 2016
Industry News
TikTok agreed to divest a portion of its U.S. operations to American investors last week, ending a four-year regulatory battle. The investor group includes Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake, and investment firm MGX, which will collectively hold 45% of the U.S. operation. ByteDance retained nearly 20% stake in the deal valued at approximately $14 billion.
The newly formed "TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC" will oversee operations including data protection, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurance. Oracle will serve as the trusted security partner and already provides cloud services for TikTok's U.S. user data management.
ByteDance will not have access to U.S. user information or influence over the U.S. algorithm under the agreement. The deal is scheduled to close on January 22, 2026. Reports indicated the current TikTok app will be discontinued in the U.S. upon deal completion, requiring users to transition to a new platform with unspecified features.
CapCut, the ByteDance-owned video editing platform, reported that users created billions of projects in 2025 as the company expanded its artificial intelligence features. The platform launched AI Lab during the year to consolidate generative features, focusing on making editing more accessible to non-technical users.
Auto captions ranked among CapCut's most-used AI features alongside AutoCut, Voice filter, and Text-to-speech tools. The company said these features lowered barriers for new users while giving experienced creators faster execution methods.
Competition intensified when Meta launched its standalone video-editing app Edits globally in April. Unlike Edits, which integrates closely with Instagram's publishing ecosystem, CapCut positioned itself as a platform-agnostic tool used across multiple social and professional contexts.
Nathan Kessel launched his creator business during the 2020 pandemic after his opera career stalled, building a portfolio that now generates over 750 million views monthly across YouTube (11.2 million subscribers), TikTok (10.8 million followers), Instagram (2.5 million followers), and Facebook (1.7 million followers). The former Rice University music graduate pivoted to short-form content after suffering a traumatic brain injury in 2009 that ended his professional singing career.
Kessel founded The Virality Network, a consulting firm that advises YouTube, Disney, Pokémon, CeraVe, Activision, and Paramount on content strategy. He teaches specific metrics-based formulas, stating YouTube videos need 16-24 second length for 100 million views, while TikTok content performs best between 6.3-8.2 seconds for maximum retention rates.
His business model shifted from labor-intensive productions to repeatable formats after TikTok removed his "Karen" prank series for harassment violations. Kessel now focuses on systematized content creation, including his "Balls of Fate" series that consistently delivers millions of views with minimal production time.
Hummingbirds, a martech platform, released research in November 2025 showing Gen Z consumers discovered new products primarily in physical retail stores. Data from eMarketer showed 51.9% of Gen Z consumers discovered products in physical stores first, while 64% preferred in-store shopping over online purchasing.
Nano creators with fewer than 10,000 followers achieved 34.1% impression rates and 6.2% engagement rates, compared to 15.5% and 1.8% for mega creators with over one million followers, according to Later and eMarketer data. User-generated content featuring everyday retail moments showed 35% higher purchase intent than branded studio content.
The research highlighted several retailer-specific campaigns. OLIPOP activated 68 creators across 26 cities for a Sam's Club promotion, generating 140 user-generated content assets and 48,000 reel views. MUSH's Costco campaign featured 28 creators and produced 56 content pieces with over 2,000 engagements. Provence Beauty's Ulta launch used 50 creators in nine cities, creating over 100 assets and 30,000 reel views.
Video editing platform Kapwing released research showing AI-generated content represented 33% of YouTube Shorts shown to new users in October 2025. The company analyzed the first 500 YouTube Shorts presented to a new account and found 165 videos classified as "brainrot" content and 104 videos identified as AI-generated.
India-based channel "Bandar Apna Dost" leads globally with 2.07 billion views across 500 videos featuring AI-generated content depicting a monkey in human situations. Kapwing estimated the channel's annual revenue at $4.25 million based on Social Blade calculations. U.S.-based Spanish-language channel "Cuentos Facinantes" has 5.95 million subscribers, making it the most-subscribed AI content channel identified.
Spain's eight trending AI channels have 20.22 million combined subscribers, the highest among analyzed countries. South Korea's 11 channels accumulated 8.45 billion views, leading all regions. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan previously stated that content quality matters more than AI generation percentage, calling generative AI YouTube's most significant advantage since the platform's founding.
Hip-hop media personality Akademiks argued that rappers damaged their careers by collaborating with streamers over the past two years. Speaking on his stream, Akademiks claimed that when rappers pursued streaming partnerships to boost their numbers, the collaborations benefited streamers more than the artists themselves.
Akademiks stated that streamers like Adin Ross and Kai Cenat gained access to celebrity spaces while rappers lost their mystique by appearing on streaming platforms. He argued that streamers provide consistent content compared to music releases, which he described as hit-or-miss for audiences.
The media personality, who operates across multiple streaming platforms, suggested that rappers handed their audiences to streamers by seeking appearances on their channels. He claimed streamers successfully extracted attention from potential music fans, forcing artists to visit streamers' spaces to regain audience attention. Akademiks concluded that fans now prioritize personality-driven content over traditional music promotion methods.
FaZe Clan lost six influencers on December 25, 2025, after contract negotiations collapsed with HardScope, the investment company led by DraftKings co-founder Matt Kalish. The departing creators—Adapt, Jason, Ronaldo, Lacy, Rage, and Silky—represented FaZe's entire roster listed on its website.
Kalish, who invested $10 million in FaZe over 18 months, ended negotiations last week and plans to continue operations without the influencers. He called FaZe's current financial structure "unsustainable" and said the company had subsidized influencers' expenses including operations from a Los Angeles mansion. The influencers considered Kalish's contract terms unfavorable.
FaZe Clan went public in 2022 with a projected $1 billion valuation but became a penny stock. GameSquare Holdings acquired the company for $17 million in 2023. Co-founder Richard "FaZe Banks" Bengtson briefly returned as CEO after purchasing 25% in June 2024, but departed in July 2025 after his FaZe Media divested its stake.
TuManag3r, a Málaga-based creator management agency founded in 2021, scaled operations across Spanish-speaking markets by running 1,100 campaigns in 2025, up from 950 in 2024. The company projects 1,400 campaigns for 2026 while managing over 2,000 creators globally with a core roster under exclusive management.
The agency distinguished itself by appointing Salvadoran YouTuber Fernanfloo, who has 100 million followers, as a business partner and board member. Director Oscar Fernando Ruelas noted that 91% of TuManag3r's brand partnerships involve international multinationals rather than local companies, addressing market maturity gaps between English-speaking and Spanish-speaking creator economies.
TuManag3r expanded into gaming development partnerships and hired teams across Spain, Mexico, and North America. The 40-person company targets North American expansion in 2026 while maintaining operations across Europe and Latin America, focusing on sustainable growth and financial transparency through voluntary audits.
Genii Creators Agency, a New York-based boutique talent management company led by owner Isidora Kecman, specializes in representing entertainment creators who focus on film, television, and gaming content across social platforms. The agency currently manages approximately 16 creators and operates as an exclusive management partner handling brand partnerships, deal negotiations, and long-term growth strategy.
The agency helped three creators transition to full-time content creation over the past year through consistent brand partnerships and multi-video deals. Genii's business model prioritizes sustained partnerships over one-off sponsorships, focusing on creators who influence viewing decisions and cultural conversations around entertainment properties.
Korean tech company Himaroo secured $5.48 million in funding from SB Partners and Smart Study for ReverseTok, its AI-based influencer communication platform. SB Partners committed $1.37 million total with $410,000 in the current round, while Smart Study committed $4.11 million total with $2.05 million in this phase. The company plans to raise remaining amounts in stages.
Himaroo appointed Jaeil Seo, former Vice President of Samsung SDS, as CEO to lead expansion. ReverseTok allows fans to converse with influencers through AI technology that replicates speaking styles, tendencies, and personalities.
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Silver influencers are reshaping the creator economy as content creators in their fifties, sixties, and seventies gain massive followings across social media platforms. Couples like Aki and Koichi, both in their seventies with backgrounds in education and medicine, exemplify this trend that's attracting brand partnerships. The phenomenon holds particular significance for women facing workplace age discrimination, offering alternative revenue streams and visibility.
Australia's three-trillion-dollar pension pool signals substantial purchasing power among older demographics, prompting brands to pivot from their traditional Gen Z and millennial focus. Helen Mirren, Jane Fonda, and Laura Dern recently walked Paris Fashion Week runways, demonstrating mainstream acceptance. The movement counters harmful AI-perpetuated stereotypes about older women while proving digital influence isn't limited by age, though creators still face online harassment and commodification pressures.
Miami ranked third nationally for top Instagram influencer count with over 6,000 creators, behind Los Angeles with roughly 12,000 and New York City with nearly 11,000, according to research by University of Hong Kong professor Patrick Adler. Seattle followed fourth with about 4,000 influencers.
When measured per capita, Miami exceeded Los Angeles in top influencer concentration despite being only the sixth-largest U.S. market by population. Other cities ranking in the top 10 per capita included Las Vegas, Atlanta, Houston, and Nashville.
Miami experienced creator migration during the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by zero state income tax and warm weather. The city added events like Formula 1's Miami Grand Prix in 2022. Notable Miami-based influencers include Alix Earle, Xandra Pohl, Samantha Schnur, and Nico Norena.
Becca Bahrke, CEO of creator management firm Illuminate Social, reported that before 2020, 80% of her 85 clients lived in LA and NYC. That ratio has since reversed, with creators now distributed across the U.S.
Reed Duchscher, MrBeast's former talent manager and CEO of talent management firm Night, said the era of social media superstars reaching massive audiences is ending. Duchscher argued that improved algorithms on platforms like YouTube and TikTok now deliver more targeted content to users based on specific interests, making it harder for creators to achieve the broad reach that made MrBeast a superstar with hundreds of millions of subscribers and a $5 billion business valuation.
Night represents creators including Kai Cenat and Hasan Piker but is shifting strategy toward niche-focused talent who can monetize smaller, loyal audiences through targeted products. Duchscher cited examples like food creators launching cookbooks or plant creators selling gardening tools.
The approach reflects broader industry trends. Investment firm Slow Ventures writes $1 million to $3 million checks for creators with expertise in specific verticals who plan to expand beyond media. Night operates a separate venture arm that invests in creator businesses. Duchscher ended his role as MrBeast's manager last year but continues working with the creator on chocolate business Feastables.
Bytedance, TikTok's parent company, filed a judicial review against Irish media regulator Coimisiún na Meán this week, represented by law firm A&L Goodbody. The Chinese tech company became the tenth social media platform to challenge the regulator in court.
Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland's media watchdog, now faces a total of ten court challenges from social media platforms it oversees. The regulator is responsible for monitoring and enforcing rules on social media companies operating in Ireland under European Union digital services legislation.
The judicial review represents another legal battle between major tech companies and Irish regulators, as platforms contest regulatory decisions and enforcement actions. Ireland serves as the European headquarters for many large social media companies, making its regulatory decisions particularly important for platform operations across the EU.
The case adds to mounting legal pressure on the Irish media regulator as it implements new digital oversight responsibilities.
Social Media Follower Counts Have Never Mattered Less, Creator Economy Execs Say