TikTok Star's 13 Million Views, $0 Earned: Monetization Policy Sparks Debate

TikTok's Monetization Policies Frustrate Creators: A Content Creator's Struggle to Earn Income June 1, 2025, marked a day of both excitement and frustration for Taja Ashaka (@travelwithtaja), a TikTok content creator based in the US. Ashaka recently decorated her daughters' new apartment, documenting the process in a video. However, the video's focus was not solely on home decor. It served as a platform to express her disappointment over a previous video that garnered 13 million views but generated zero dollars in revenue. "My last video got over 13 million views, but we made $0 because it was .77 seconds short of being able to monetize!" Ashaka explains in her latest video. This near-miss highlights the stringent requirements of TikTok's monetization program, leaving many creators struggling to meet the criteria for income generation. The video, which shows Ashaka decorating with items from her storefront, also includes a personal touch, mentioning her faith and her daughters' anticipation of using the money earned to redecorate their apartment. Ashaka's story is a common one among TikTok creators, illustrating the challenges and unpredictability of earning a living through online content creation. The video's popularity underscores the need for a more transparent and accessible monetization system for creators.