TikTok will soon be banned in the United States after the government said the app posed a security threat to the country.
Here’s what to know, as the app is likely to be gone for good as early as this weekend:
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When will TikTok be banned?
TikTok is set to be officially banned in the United States on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, unless its China-based parent company sells it.
The federal law to pass the ban was signed by President Joe Biden in April 2024. The bill allowed TikTok’s parent company to sell the platform within 270 days. Failure to do so will lead to the app being banned in the United States.
Why is TikTok going to be banned?
TikTok has been seen as a national security threat by the U.S. government due to its connections with China.
Officials in the United States argued that the user data TikTok collects, including information on viewing habits, could fall into the hands of the Chinese government through coercion. The U.S. government also expressed concern over the algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities.
There have been hearings in hopes for the Supreme Court to appeal the federal law, but the law was upheld.
It won’t totally vanish, but the app will slowly degrade
The ban will cause TikTok to vanish from U.S. app stores on Jan. 19, 2025. This doesn’t mean it will disappear from your phone if you already have the app installed. The ban means new users will not be able to download it.
TikTok will also no longer be able to maintain the app for U.S. users once it’s banned, such as fixing any bugs or routinely updating it. This means the app will eventually become unusable.
Can you get around the ban?
Using a virtual private network (VPN), a program that can hide location data and appear as though the user is accessing the internet in a different country, could be a way for an American user to continue using TikTok.
Accessing your favorite TikTok content
You have the option to save any photos and videos you posted to TikTok to your phone. Many TikTokers allow users to download their posts, but not everyone allows it. Users can’t download content off private accounts or those registered to anyone under the age of 16.
You could request a copy of your TikTok data, including things like your comments and video-watching history. According to the company, it may take a few days to prepare that type of file.
What are the alternatives to TikTok?
If you believe you will have withdrawals from the app once it’s gone, there are alternative social platforms U.S. users can freely access that have similarities to TikTok. Those platforms include YouTube, Meta (Instagram and Facebook) and Lemon8.
