TikTok's endless stream of lip sync videos, illusions, and air fryer recipes may seem innocent enough, but the app now faces the very serious threat of a ban in the US.
In recent months, TikTok has been in the eye of a political storm that has seen it banned from government devices in the US, the EU, and now the UK. But it's the very real prospect of a total ban on TikTok in the US that worries the app's millions of users.
The US government, including the current Biden administration, has been investigating TikTok and its relationship with its China-based parent company for several years.
The app has responded to allegations that it collects and stores user data from the US by making several changes, including moving all of your US data to Oracle's servers (opens in a new tab). But none of that has eased US concerns that the app poses a threat to national security and TikTok's CEO will soon appear before Congress to defend the app.
So what does all this mean for the hundreds of millions of global TikTok users, and in particular the 150 million who live in the United States? Here's everything you need to know about the possibility of a TIkTok ban in the United States.
Why is the TikTok ban potentially happening?
The main charge behind the potential ban on TikTok in the United States is that the app poses a threat to national security. But wait, aren't most TikTok videos just video game walkthroughs and frivolous clips from TV shows?
Yes, but the problem is less the content and more what TikTok could supposedly do with the underlying data it collects: about your likes and comments, as well as where in the world you are and who you interact with.
For example, in February, FBI Director Christopher Wray expressed "extreme" concern that data collected from US-based TikTok fans could be "weaponized" by China.
This is due to the fact that TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, and Chinese law allows its government to force any company to hand over the data it has on its servers.
Another allegation made by Wray was that the Chinese government could weaponize TikTok in a way that would allow it to "control the recommendation algorithm," giving it enormous potential leverage as more people than ever get their news from TikTok and YouTube.
Although there is currently no strong evidence that either practice is widespread, TikTok (like Facebook and Instagram) collects a large amount of user data. Last year, four employees were also fired from TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, for allegedly collecting usage data from American journalists.
Whether all of this poses enough security risks for the US government to take the unprecedented step of banning TikTok entirely remains to be seen. On March 7, a new bill made it easier for the US government to ban apps that pose a national security risk.
But on March 22, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew claimed that the app had "never shared US user data" and had a "responsibility to protect" its 150 million US users.
How would a TikTok ban work?
In fact, we've already seen the most likely way a TikTok ban would work in practice. In September 2020, the US Department of Commerce issued a ban ordering Apple and Google to remove TikTok and WeChat from their US app stores.
That ban was ultimately blocked by a federal judge and ultimately overturned by President Biden last year, but the incident gives us a glimpse of what could happen if TikTok's owners refuse to part with their stakes in the app.
If US users are unable to download TikTok from the iOS or Android app stores, they will be deprived of future updates. And after some time, the app would probably stop working on their smartphones.
The US government may also prevent access to TikTok by identifying your IP address and preventing access to the web version of the application. But it's not yet clear if it's in the cards, and there would be possible ways around it...
Is there a way to avoid a potential TikTok ban?
While banning TikTok from appearing on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store would be a significant barrier to using the app in the US, there could be potential solutions if that happens.
The most obvious way would be to use one of the best mobile VPNs - opens in a new tab - to change your location (at least in the eyes of your ISP). Although there is a monthly cost, the method could work as long as you choose a server based in a country where TikTok is not banned.
Our best mobile VPN right now is ExpressVPN, though NordVPN and Surfshark are also good options. That being said, even these VPNs may not be able to bypass a TikTok ban in the United States.
TikTok says (opens in a new tab) that it "collects your approximate location information based on your device or network information such as SIM card and IP address." In theory, this means that your device could still use this approximate location data to prevent you from using the service.
If so, your best hope may be the emergence of TikTok spinoff apps, which happened in India when the country banned the app in 2020.