So here we are—the long-running TikTok ban saga finally enters what could be its end-zone just hours from now. All 170 million U.S. users will be questioning what happens next, and what they can expect when they wake up Sunday morning.
While we originally expected the app to continue working for existing users post a ban coming into effect, that now seems not to be the case. TikTok has essentially warned that it will “go dark” in the U.S., given that service providers underpinning the platform won’t be able to continue doing so lawfully.
The inside track from TikTok appears to be that you will be directed to a website with a message and explanation from the platform, and perhaps an option to download your data. Although for all 100-million-plus users to do that all at once might stretch the ecosystem, so be ready for some chaos and delays. There’s no confirmation on timing. It could be midnight or some time shortly afterwards. There’s still a chance a last minute deal will let it run until the change of administration next week.
Many users have asked whether a VPN will resolve the issue — as has been the case with state-wide porn shut-outs across the U.S., where users turn to VPNs to pretend they’re somewhere else. That seems unlikely to work here, given the platform itself is going dark as opposed to being blocked. But we’ll know more on Sunday.
It’s critical that you do two things before the ban comes into effect. First make sure your account has been secured, which will help you restore it if and when it comes back. You can find details on doing that here. And second, don’t fall for any lures coming at you by email or message or social media post, promising to restore yoiur account or provide a workaround. They will be dangerous scams.
Most expect some form of fudge if not tomorrow then early next week, with the new Trump administration giving TikTok a pass for 60-90 days, time for the situation to resolve. That could still mean 24-72 hours of darkness though, so just make sure you’re prepared. With unfortunate timing, TikTok is now under fire in Europe, with a new privacy lawsuit claiming it unlawfully sends data to China. TikTok tells me it strongly denies the claim and I don’t expect it to make any difference in the U.S.
Your app won’t disappear from your phone tomorrow and you don’t need to delete it. But it won’t work if the platform goes dark until it is restored and it won’t be available in any of the app stores. The risk of an app with no access to security updates running on 170 million phones does seem to have passed with the latest turn of events, which is good, but for millions of users this new “dark” reality could be worse.
Above all, don’t do anything rash. And keep your fingers crossed.
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