This ban stems from legislation enacted in April by President Joe Biden, marking the first instance where the U.S. has sought to restrict access to an app with such a significant user base—approximately 170 million users in the country.
To enforce this ban, the law targets a broad range of U.S.-based partners that facilitate TikTok's accessibility, making common workarounds like using a virtual private network or altering a phone's country settings ineffective or challenging, according to experts consulted by Reuters.
At best, users may only be able to access a limited web-based version of the service, which lacks many features of the app, and even that may not function reliably, experts warn.
Here’s an overview of the ban's implementation process.
APP 'DILUTES'
The law does not mandate users to uninstall the app. However, TikTok intends to deactivate the service, displaying a notification regarding the law and providing users with an option to download their personal data, as previously reported by Reuters.
Even if TikTok were not planning an official shutdown, the app's functionality would significantly decline. App store providers are explicitly prohibited from offering TikTok to U.S. users, meaning that Apple and Google will remove the app from their platforms and cease distributing updates to address any issues.
The TikTok app also depends on a steady influx of new videos, which would become nearly impossible to maintain. Data for U.S. users is managed on servers owned by Oracle, and most experts believe that Oracle would have to halt these operations.
Oracle, Apple, Google, and TikTok have either declined to comment or have not responded to requests for information.
Additionally, analyses indicate that over 100 other service providers, including content delivery networks, play a crucial role in ensuring TikTok operates effectively.
"Some subset of that stuff that is required for the app to actually work, both in terms of getting video to you, but also in terms of getting video and content up," said Joseph Lorenzo Hall, a distinguished technologist with nonprofit group Internet Society. "And so uploading might be one of the first things to go. Americans may only be able to watch as their app rots."
The withdrawal of certain service providers may impact millions of TikTok users globally, not just in the U.S. However, company engineers are actively working to resolve these challenges, according to sources cited by Reuters.
TWO PHONES AND A TRIP TO TORONTO?
One of the simplest solutions to maintain access to TikTok is to utilize a virtual private network (VPN), which can mask a user's internet protocol (IP) address and, consequently, their geographical location.
Nevertheless, TikTok has alternative methods to determine a user's location, including geolocation data obtained from mobile devices, as noted by Jason Kelley, director of activism at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Users might attempt to access TikTok's web version through a browser while connected to a VPN, but this version lacks many features available in the app and, if a new account is required, it would not offer the same level of personalization based on user preferences.
"It won't provide a satisfactory experience for you, nor will it be beneficial for them," Kelley remarked.
Some users have considered changing their iPhone's country settings to continue using the app. However, this would necessitate canceling current app subscriptions and establishing a new payment method for that specific country, as outlined in Apple’s documentation.
The process is cumbersome enough that it might be simpler to acquire a separate phone solely for the app, prompting Hall to humorously suggest that the legislation could lead to "Congress compelling influencers to carry two phones, as many already do."
However, even altering an iPhone's settings to a different country is not a simple solution. The law prohibits Apple and other app store providers from offering the TikTok app to users in the United States, regardless of device configuration, meaning users would still need to leave the U.S. to download TikTok.