TikTok ban in the US did not happen, but you might still need a VPN
On January 19, a law that bans TikTok in the US took effect and for about 12 hours the app became inaccessible from within the country.
That was a direct consequence of legislation called the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, that was signed into law by the former US President Joe Biden on April 24, 2024.
The law made it illegal for any US entity to distribute, maintain, or update any app controlled by a foreign adversary — China, in this case. Since TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, it fell under this law. Specifically, the law prohibited US entities from doing the following:
Providing services that help distribute, maintain, or update the app (think app stores like Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store)
Providing internet hosting services that support the app’s distribution, maintenance, or updates (which targets Internet Service Providers, or ISPs, and hosting services like Oracle)
On January 19, TikTok went dark, citing a lack of assurances from the Biden administration that its key providers wouldn’t face penalties. That same day, both Google and Apple removed the app from their respective stores.
However, the next day, as President Donald Trump’s new administration was coming into power, TikTok released a statement saying it had received enough “clarity and assurance” from the incoming administration that its providers wouldn’t be punished. By Sunday, January 20, TikTok was accessible again to existing US users, though it had not yet returned to the app stores. The latter might be only a matter of time though.
Is the TikTok ban in the US no longer on the table?
Ahead of his inauguration on January 20, Trump said he would issue an executive order once in office to extend the timeline before the law’s punitive measures take effect. He had previously mentioned a 90-day extension. According to Trump, this would give both the US government and ByteDance enough time to “make a deal to protect our [US] national security.” In his pre-inauguration rally speech, Trump added more details about his plans for TikTok, stating that he wants the app to be at least 50% US-owned.
Despite the bravado of the new administration and the attempt to give the impression that TikTok’s presence in the US is being saved, everything is still very much up in the air. While TikTok had previously said it would “work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States,” its parent company, ByteDance, had also made it clear that it was strongly opposed to selling the app. The problem is, under the original law, the only way for TikTok to continue operating legally in the US was for ByteDance to sell it.
Does a potential partial divestiture versus a full divestiture make a difference? We have yet to find out. TikTok previously said that divestment was “simply not possible: not commercially, not technologically, not legally.”
So while it may seem that the storm has calmed down and the matter has been resolved to the benefit of the US government, the app itself, and its US users, this may be an illusion and the reality may be much more complicated. And for what it's worth, it's not out of the question that the app will still be unavailable in the US at some point if the negotiations fail. So, what happens if they do fail?
Scenario 1: TikTok is ‘going dark’ voluntarily, again
After the app went dark on Saturday, it displayed a message to its 170 million US users that they could not use TikTok “for now” because of the new law. Let’s assume that the negotiations fall through and TikTok makes itself unavailable in the US yet again.
Technically, this will mean that the app’s servers would block users from accessing the platform within US borders as it happened briefly during its 12-hour self-inflicted shutdown. Essentially, the app will be inaccessible through normal means, and users won't be able to scroll through the endless stream of videos they’re used to. It’s up to TikTok to decide on how it will go about this. It might make itself completely inaccessible within the US borders, or like it did this time — leave users with an option to download their data if they want to, or restrict the ways it can be used. These are some of the ways they can go about this:
Geofencing via IP blocking: TikTok could block US-based IP addresses to prevent access, making the app inaccessible within the country (in this case connecting to TikTok through a VPN will help)
Server-side blocking: TikTok could detect US-based users through device-level signals like phone numbers, SIM cards, or device settings, effectively locking them out (in this case a VPN won’t help)
Disabling account access: TikTok could block access to accounts tied to the US region based on account details, such as the telephone number or the region code linked to the registration (in this case a VPN is unlikely to help either; what can help, however, is registering a new account with a non-US number, which can be quite a hassle)
Scenario 2: The US government forces Apple and Google to block TikTok
While this scenario seems unlikely now given the latest rhetoric from the Trump administration, it can still happen.
In this case, faced with steep penalties under the law, Google, Apple, Oracle and others will be forced to stop providing any services to TikTok as a “foreign adversary-controlled app.” That would mean that the app will have to be delisted from Google’s Play Store, App’s App Store, and, for that matter, any other app store. Simultaneously, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) may be compelled to block access to TikTok by implementing measures like blocking traffic to TikTok’s servers, using DNS filtering to prevent domain resolution, or even throttling traffic associated with the app. These actions would effectively make TikTok inaccessible for new users within the US.
For existing users, the app could still be accessible, but only with a VPN. Moreover, they won’t receive any updates from the usual channels such as app stores, which means its functionality will gradually deteriorate over time. On top of that, without critical security patches, it will become increasingly unsafe to use and could even turn into a gateway for malware on your device.
Not all VPNs may work, especially if the US government takes measures to detect and block VPN traffic, following in the footsteps of countries like Iran, Russia, and China, which have cracked down on VPN providers with varying degrees of success.
However, none of these governments have been able to completely shut down blacklisted services and apps. People in China still use Instagram, Iranians use YouTube, and Russians still find ways to access Facebook. The US won’t be the first country to ban TikTok—other countries, including Afghanistan and most notably India, have already taken similar steps. While it will be unfortunate if US users find themselves in the same boat as those in countries with restrictive internet laws, it’s not the end of the world.
So, here’s how you can install and connect to a VPN to still use TikTok, even if it’s banned in your country.
How to access TikTok even if it’s banned in your country
To connect to a VPN server outside the USA using AdGuard VPN, follow these steps:
Download and install AdGuard VPN: Head to the official AdGuard VPN website and download the app. Follow the prompts to complete the installation process. Alternatively, you can find the app in your app store, and download it from there.
Set up an account: Launch the AdGuard VPN app and create a new account if you don’t already have one.
Sign in: Use your login credentials to sign in to the AdGuard VPN app after creating your account.
Pick a server location: Once logged in, browse through the list of available servers and select one located outside the USA in a country where TikTok is accessible without restrictions.
Connect to the server: Tap on the selected server to establish a secure connection. AdGuard VPN will handle the rest, ensuring your data is routed through the chosen location.
Access TikTok: With the VPN connection active, open TikTok on your device. You should now be able to use the app without any restrictions, as your virtual location has shifted to the selected country.
Enjoy TikTok: Start browsing, posting, and engaging with content on TikTok as if you were physically located in the country of your chosen server, all while enjoying the enhanced privacy and security that AdGuard VPN provides.
Using a VPN also has an added benefit of protecting your data from snooping by third parties, such as your ISP and hackers. You’re not only accessing your favourite services but also doing so in a more secure way.
