The Impact of a Potential TikTok Ban on US Users: What You Need to Know

If you are a TikTok user or a parent of one, you may have some questions about the importance of the measure. Firstly, the ban will not go into effect immediately. ByteDance has nine months to clear from its US subsidiary. If the sale is already in progress, the company will get another three months to complete it. It could take a year or even years before a ban goes into effect.

Image source The Washington Post

TikTok would disappear from Apple and Google's app stores, and users would not be able to download it. This would mean that TikTok wouldn't be able to send updates, security patches, and bug fixes, and over time, the app would likely become unusable and a security risk.

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Although teenagers are known for avoiding parental controls and bans when it comes to social media, dodging the US government's ban may not be easy. Users could try to mask their locations using a VPN, use alternative app stores, or even install a foreign SIM card into their phone.

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Users will likely resettle to other platforms like Instagram, which has a TikTok-like feature called Reels, or YouTube, which has incorporated vertical short videos in its feed to compete with TikTok.

Popular creators are likely to be found on other platforms as well, so users can still access similar content.

It is essential to note that lawmakers and intelligence officials have expressed concerns about Chinese authorities forcing ByteDance to hand over user data. However, data privacy experts say that the Chinese government could easily get information on Americans in other ways, including through commercial data brokers that sell or rent personal information. TikTok has denied assertions that it could be used as a tool of the Chinese government and has stated that it has never shared U.S. user data with Chinese authorities and won’t do so if asked.