TikTok could be banned this month. Here’s what users can do to prepare
TikTok has cemented itself as a quintessential entertainment app, offering everything from funny skits and makeup tutorials to social commentary and news.
The platform, though, could vanish from U.S. app stores by Jan. 19 if the Supreme Court does not step in to block a federal law that forces TikTok to cut ties with its China-based parent company or face a nation-wide ban.
President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, recently asked the court to put a pause on the law so he can work out a “political resolution” to the issue during his second term. If the Justices — who heard oral arguments Friday over the law — grant his request, a potential ban on TikTok will be delayed even further. The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision within days.
TikTok has more than 170 million U.S. users. According to the Pew Research Center, that includes most teens and a third of adults. If you are an avid user, or a creator who relies on the platform for income, here’s what you need to know to prepare:
What happens on Jan. 19?
Under the law, web hosting companies will also be barred from hosting TikTok. Users will continue to have access to TikTok if it’s already downloaded on their phones, but the app will disappear from Apple and Google’s app stores — so new users won’t be able to download it.
This would also mean that TikTok wouldn’t be able to send updates, security patches and bug fixes to users, all of which will degrade the quality of the app and likely lead to security issues. Eventually, the app will become unworkable.
Are there any workarounds to access TikTok?
Yes, but some tech savviness is required and it’s not clear what will and won’t work.
The most common workaround that’s brought up is a VPN, or virtual private network, that allows users to mask their location. A VPN encrypts your traffic data and then routes it through private tunnels to secure servers around the world, which prevents anyone else from being able to read it.
Lauren Hendry Parsons, the director of communications and advocacy at ExpressVPN, maintains that people could access their TikTok accounts by using a VPN and making some other changes to their phone’s settings that would allow them to jump to a nearby country’s app store.
If large droves of users do that, it’s possible that tech companies, such as Apple or Google, could recognize it as a legal liability and find other ways to clamp down on the app. But they also might avoid going that route since they’re trying to forge friendlier ties with Trump, who now wants to “save TikTok” and could potentially direct his Justice Department to abandon enforcement of the law all together.
U.S. TikTok users with Android devices might also be able to continue to update the platform through third-party app stores, a method called sideloading. But bypassing the security protocols that well-known app stores have in place might also leave users more vulnerable to malware, said Gus Hurwitz, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania with expertise in telecommunications and technology.
Would I still have access to my favorite videos?
TikTok allows you to save the videos or photos you’ve posted, or content from your favorite influencers. Any posts you choose to save will be downloaded and kept on your phone.
Many TikTok creators allow users to download their posts, but it’s possible you might not be able to save everything you want since some put limits on their content. Users also can’t download content off of private accounts or those registered to anyone under the age of 16.
If you’re interested, the platform allows you to request a copy of your TikTok data, which includes things like your comment and video watching history. The company says it may take a few days to prepare that type of file.
What apps are people going to next?
Established social media platforms, such as Meta’s Instagram, Snapchat and Google’s YouTube are expected to benefit from having one of their biggest competitors taken off of the U.S. market.
The rise of the short-form video platform led many others to offer TikTok-like feeds on their own platforms, such as Instagram’s Reels and YouTube’s Shorts. And if TikTok goes away, it’s likely that creators on the app would more easily switch to Reels and Shorts since they already have large audiences and a user base that overlaps with TikTok, said Jasmine Enberg, an analyst at market research company Emarketer.
But some experts say the youngest users are unlikely to migrate to a service made popular by their millennial parents. And while Meta’s algorithm is addictive, it’s still not TikTok. As for YouTube, it’s still mostly known for its longer-format videos.
For TikTokers who want to get away from the overcrowded spots, there are lesser-known apps like Triller, which is popular for music videos, and Zigazoo, which was designed with kids in mind. There’s also Twitch, the live-streaming platform owned by Amazon.
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AP technology writer Barbara Ortutay contributed to this story.
By HALELUYA HADERO
AP Business Writer
