For the first time in over 60 years, the unions representing actors and Hollywood writers<\/a> are staging a strike at the same time<\/a>, protesting low pay and studios\u2019 proposals for using artificial intelligence tools in production. More than 175,000 union members are out of work until a deal is made.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n But the ripple effects of the strikes are also reaching another group: influencers and digital content creators who are far from a household name but work in an industry that is, at times, synonymous with fast-track fame. Most of them are non-union influencers, leading to confusion. How can creators keep making money while their peers in Hollywood strike? What rules are they required to follow? What\u2019s their role in all of this?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This guide will break down key points to know about the strikes and address some of the most common questions influencers have raised.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n What kind of work is off-limits for striking workers?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) is a group that represents hundreds of studios, including the big ones: Disney, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Apple, Netflix, Amazon, and many others.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Striking workers in the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) are prohibited from working for the companies that are on the other side of negotiations. For actors, that includes<\/a> the obvious work: acting and voice acting, singing, and doing stunts, but they\u2019re also barred from behind-the-scenes work like sitting for makeup tests, rehearsing, and auditioning. Writers, meanwhile, can\u2019t take meetings, pitch, or polish scripts, among other work<\/a>. (Disclosure: <\/em>The Verge\u2019s editorial staff is also unionized with the Writers Guild of America, East.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Workers will continue to withhold their labor until the two sides have a deal. Negotiations include thorny, pressing issues in the industry, like actors\u2019 shockingly low residual earnings<\/a> in the age of streaming and studios\u2019 ability to collect and reuse actors\u2019 likeness<\/a> through generative AI tools.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n One of the biggest points of confusion for influencers and creators is the question of promoting work by struck companies \u2014 something actors and writers do, but that is increasingly being outsourced to content creators. Striking performers and writers won\u2019t be doing press and publicity like interviews, podcast appearances, and promoting struck work on social media.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Will studios hire other people to promote films and TV shows?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Yes, and it\u2019s already happening. Some influencers have shared anecdotes about being offered deals to make content on behalf of struck companies.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In a video, TikTok creator @f0r3st.witch said they were offered $5,000 to make content for a \u201chousehold name movie franchise,\u201d which they ignored.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThese studios are literally already so desperate for people to promote their stuff because of the actors\u2019 strike,\u201d @f0r3st.witch says in the clip<\/a>. \u201cThey\u2019re reaching out to influencers and content creators of all levels to try to get them to go against the strike.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Promotion doesn\u2019t necessarily mean exchanging money for content, either. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, lead negotiator for SAG-AFTRA, says the union has heard of struck companies inviting influencers to premieres, offering to pay for their travel expenses, or arranging special clothing for them to wear. Less common is trying to hire influencers to take on roles that might have gone to an actor instead.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I\u2019m not in a union that\u2019s on strike. Do I need to follow these rules?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Non-union influencers and content creators don\u2019t need <\/em>to follow any of these guidelines. But aside from the moral question of doing labor for struck companies \u2014 called \u201cstruck work\u201d \u2014 it could be in their own best interest to adhere to strike rules.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n It\u2019s no longer an anomaly for digital content creators to make a jump into TV and film later in their careers: Quinta Brunson, for example, rose from posting comedy videos online and working for BuzzFeed<\/em> to writing a hit sitcom in just a few years. Brunson is now on strike.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n SAG-AFTRA represents influencers<\/a> under a special agreement in addition to more traditional types of performers. And if an influencer or creator has any ambitions of branching out in the future, it\u2019s likely they\u2019ll either want to join a union or even be required to become a member to participate in productions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n SAG-AFTRA has already said that influencers taking on jobs like promoting stuck work will be blocked from joining the union<\/a>. It\u2019s not an empty promise, either: SAG has investigated and banned strikebreakers<\/a> in the past and asks members to report<\/a> anyone they see doing this work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n How does SAG-AFTRA define \u201cinfluencer\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The union is thinking of \u201cinfluencer\u201d as a self-defining group, much like actors \u2014 someone recording themselves acting in a role and then uploading the video to Instagram might identify as an actor even if they\u2019re not making money that way. Crabtree-Ireland says it\u2019s not a prerequisite that someone is making money by posting online.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re somebody who thinks of yourself \u2014 or is looking to present yourself \u2014 as an influencer or a content creator, who is putting out content that\u2019s intended to promote these projects and draw general attention to them, that\u2019s really where the line is drawn,\u201d Crabtree-Ireland says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Crabtree-Ireland says SAG-AFTRA is appealing to content creators for solidarity because he believes performers\u2019 fight will resonate with them. Influencers and actors have a shared interest in protecting creative work and making sure technology isn\u2019t used to replace them, he says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cContent creators and influencers are very talented people. That\u2019s why they have the followings they have \u2014 they make some of the most interesting and engaging content on those platforms,\u201d Crabtree-Ireland says. \u201cThis request \u2026 is really out of respect for what they are doing and accomplishing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n