Downloads, Trump and VPNs: Everything you should know before the TikTok ban
The Supreme Court approved a law on Friday that effectively bans the social media app TikTok in the United States. The law was signed by President Joe Biden last year and requires the app to be sold by Chinese parent company ByteDance until Sunday.
The court explained that while TikTok was “a distinctive and wide-ranging medium of expression, a means of engagement, and a source of community,” Congress found that a sale was necessary to “address its well-founded national security concerns about its data collection practices and the “The relationship between TikTok and TikTok should be taken into account.” a foreign enemy.
If the company doesn’t sell the app by Sunday, here’s what US social media users can expect.
Can I download TikTok on my phone?
Under the law, app stores owned by companies like Apple and Google must remove the app from their stores overnight or face civil penalties. This means that you cannot download the app to your device and ByteDance cannot release updates to the app.
Can I still access TikTok if I already have it?
If you have already downloaded the app on your device, yes. The law doesn’t make it illegal to have the app on your phone.
Since app stores will no longer be able to distribute updates to the app after the law comes into effect, your experience with the app may deteriorate over time and even worsen become insecure. It’s unclear how long the app will work on your device without regular updates.
Can I access TikTok via a web browser?
No, the law applies to both app stores and internet providers.
Could TikTok just stop working in the US?
Yes, there is a possibility that TikTok will stop functioning altogether in the US.
According to the tech website The informationAccording to sources, TikTok was preparing to close the app to US users on Sunday, the same day the law would take effect. That means even if you have the app on your device, it won’t work. If the app were to be completely discontinued in the USA, it would be a step beyond what the law requires. The report also states that TikTok plans to give people the option to download their data so that they can consider their personal information.
TikTok did not respond to CNET’s request for comment.
How do I keep the posts and videos I like?
TikTok allows you to download your posts and posts from your favorite creators. Here’s how to download posts from your favorite creators before Sunday.
1. Open TikTok.
2. Tap share Click the button in a post – it’s the arrow on the right side of your screen.
3. Knock Save video.
How to save your own posts.
1. Open TikTok.
2. Go to your profile.
3. Tap a post.
4. Tap on the three dots (…) on the right side of your screen.
5. Knock Save video.
The app saves these posts to your photo library.
Could I use a VPN to access TikTok?
You could potentially use a VPN on your phone or browser to access TikTok, yes.
“A virtual private network is a privacy tool that hides your privacy IP address by sending your internet traffic through a remote server,” CNET’s Moe Long writes. “When I’m in New York but tunneling through a London server ExpressVPNDisney Plus thinks I’m across the pond.
A VPN could make TikTok appear as if you are accessing it from the UK or another country where it is not banned, when in reality you are in the US.
You could also potentially use a proxy server to access TikTok. A proxy server, like a VPN, masks your IP address by first routing your traffic through another server. The main difference between the two is that a proxy server does not provide as comprehensive data protection as a VPN.
Could President-Elect Trump Save TikTok?
It is currently unclear. The law would take effect Sunday, a day before the inauguration of the president-elect. So even if Trump wants to do something about the law, it will be in effect at least for that one day.
Trump’s lawyers filed an amicus brief in the case two weeks ago and asked the court to postpone the ban to give it time to find a “political solution.” Currently, Trump cannot do anything in this case until he takes office the day after the law goes into effect.
More information about this case can be found here Supreme Court decision.