The US Bans TikTok, Can Using VPN Circumvent the Law?

The trick of using VPN is also "helpless" in the face of the TikTok ban in the US.

US users are frustrated to find that even a VPN won't help them access TikTok after the app was officially banned in the country.

When the TikTok ban in the US officially took effect, many users were scrambling to find ways to bypass the ban. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), which are known as an effective tool to "circumvent" internet access, were considered the top solution to access TikTok. However, it seems that the short video platform has taken stronger measures to ensure that US users cannot access the app, even when using a VPN.

VPNs also "give up" on the TikTok ban in the US.

Many users have reported on social media that they are unable to access TikTok via VPN. Tests conducted by NBC News have also yielded similar results. This suggests that TikTok may have blocked all accounts registered with US phone numbers, as well as devices associated with these accounts.

It's not clear how TikTok implemented the ban on a technical level, but the fact that a VPN didn't work is notable, as it has previously helped Indian users access TikTok after the app was banned in the country.

Meanwhile, many VPN apps are still among the most downloaded apps on Apple's App Store. NetBlocks, a company that tracks global internet censorship, said there was no sign of US internet service providers blocking TikTok, further confirming that the app's inaccessibility is due to TikTok's policies.

Earlier in April, President Biden signed a law requiring TikTok to divest from its parent company ByteDance or face being banned in the U. S. The ban was enforced by forcing Google and Apple to remove TikTok from their app stores.