As TikTok Faces US Ban, VPN Searches Skyrocket 800%: Will Workarounds Work? Experts Weigh In

The widely-used social media platform, TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, is teetering on the edge of a ban in the United States. The ban can only be averted if a last-minute deal is reached with a U.S. investor or if the Supreme Court intervenes.

What Happened: In anticipation of the ban, TikTok plans to cease operations in the U.S., although users can still download their personal data. App stores managed by Apple Inc. AAPL and Alphabet Inc. GOOGL GOOG will remove TikTok, preventing updates and disrupting the app’s new video content.

Additionally, Oracle Corp. ORCL might stop hosting TikTok data.

Users have been exploring potential workarounds, such as using virtual private networks (VPNs) to conceal their location. According to Google Trends data, searches for “VPN for TikTok” have risen by almost 800% in the past week.

However, TikTok has other ways to determine user locations, including accessing geolocation data from devices, according to Jason Kelley, director of activism at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Reuters reported.

Some users have considered using a web-based version of TikTok through a browser with a VPN. However, the web version lacks many app features and may fail to deliver a personalized experience, especially if creating a new account is required. “It won’t be a good service for you, and it won’t be a profitable service for them,” Kelley said.

Experts have suggested using a VPN or changing phone settings to another country such as Canada as possible solutions, but these methods are not straightforward. Kelley pointed out that TikTok can still identify user locations.

Joseph Lorenzo Hall of the Internet Society humorously mentioned that influencers might need two phones due to the ban.

Why It Matters: The impending TikTok ban has significant implications for its 170 million U.S. users. The Biden administration has decided not to enforce the ban, leaving the decision to the incoming Donald Trump administration. This decision could impact the app’s future operations in the U.S. and its users.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, is in discussions with several billionaires about potentially acquiring TikTok to prevent its shutdown. This move highlights the app’s popularity and the lengths to which individuals are willing to go to keep it operational in the U.S.

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