US TikTok ban: What will happen and how you can still access the social media app

In just a matter of days the USA could be saying "goodbye" to video-sharing app TikTok, over rows with its parent company, ByteDance.

Searches for alternative social media apps including Lemon8 and Triller are all on the rise as the millions of users that could be affected by the ban seek out other means of sharing their content and building their following.

In fact, as painful as the potential ban is for larger creators who rely on it for income, TikTok actually contributed almost $25 billion to the US economy last year alone, according to the Washington Post.

So, is this the end?

Here's everything we know about what a potential TikTok ban in the United States could look like.

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Why does the US want to ban TikTok?

To put it in simple terms, the US government has accused TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, of being associated with the Chinese government - which they have denied.

It's sparked security concerns among officials, with claims suggesting that China could force the app to hand over data about its 170 million users in the US alone.

Threats from the US against the company have been in place since April 2024, when Joe Biden gave ByteDance nine months to sell TikTok, or see it banned across the country. However, despite stark warnings, there's been no movement in them selling up.

TikTok has admitted that even a temporary ban could be "devastating" for their operations, and accused the US of censoring free speech.

It was thought that Donald Trump being re-elected as president could spark hope for movement, with the pro-TikTok Republican vowing to solve the row "through political means", and asked the Supreme Court to delay its action against the app.

Its fate is now in the hands of the law.

When would TikTok be banned in the US?

The app would go dark across the US from 19 January 2025 should there be no resolution.

How can I access TikTok in the US after it's banned?

If a TikTok ban goes ahead, it will be removed from all app stores, however, if you already have it installed on your phone, it won't disappear.

Its accessibility is likely to decline rapidly, and eventually, the app will just stop working.

If you don't want to miss any videos from your favourite creators, your best bet for now is to download all of their content to your phone.

After the ban, one of the only ways to access TikTok will be through a VPN - which hides your location, and can make it seem like you're accessing the app from another location that allows it, like the UK.

What will stop the US TikTok ban from happening?

There's a couple of potential outcomes that could stop a TikTok ban from happening in the US. The first is that ByteDance give into the US' demands and sell the app. A number of US investors have already expressed interest in buying shares in the social media company.

Another is that the Supreme Court sides with ByteDance's case about free speech and censorship, and either delays a ban to allow more time for resolution, or in an unlikely case, throws out the ban entirely.

Will TikTok be banned in the UK?

Which countries have already banned TikTok?

Countries which have already banned TikTok include Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Somalia, and Hong Kong.

A number of other countries have banned it from government-owned devices.

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