Recently, The First Descendant faced backlash over its TikTok Creative Challenge, a program where TikTok creators voluntarily submit content that might be used in ads. An issue popped up when one creator’s content was used without permission, stirring disappointment among the community.
After checking with TikTok, the developers found out there’s no current system to catch copyright violations before ads go live. TikTok is now digging deeper to find if there are more cases like this. One confirmed violation involved unauthorized use of DanieltheDemon’s work, leading TikTok to block the offending creator’s account. Yikes.
To clear things up, The First Descendant team explained that creator ads don’t appear as regular posts on their official TikTok page. Instead, these videos show up only when users come to the account through advertisements. TikTok added this feature on August 15, so some videos might have looked like they were posted then deleted—but that’s not what happened.
Developers admitted they dropped the ball on keeping marketing content authentic and respecting creator efforts. They’re stepping up their review process with more checks involving their development team. Hopefully, this means no repeat of the mess.
They also promised to be more transparent and responsible from now on to win back trust from both creators and the community. That’s a good start, but trust isn’t given freely.
What’s your take on this? Should developers be held to a higher standard when it comes to creator content? I’m curious how this will affect The First Descendant’s reputation in the long run.
