TikTok users warned against using popular loophole for app after its ‘immediate shutdown’ in US

An expert has warned that defiant TikTok users planning to navigate the United States ban via external software are likely to suffer ‘penalties and punishment’.

TikTok, owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, has been scrutinised by lawmakers as a ‘potential threat vector’ to the US due to its alleged relationship with the Chinese government.

Officials are also concerned that the 170 million users’ data could be shared with Beijing, despite TikTok denying the allegations, claiming it ‘has not provided user data to the Chinese government, nor would [they] if asked’.

In April 2024, TikTok was informed that if the company didn’t sever ties with ByteDance and sell up to an American company by 19 January, it would be removed from the likes of Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

For the social media app to avoid its looming fate, the Supreme Court would need to step in with a last-minute intervention.

And while the court doesn’t plan to release formal rulings until the weekend, as per ABC News, it is still possible that a temporary injunction could be granted to pause the ban while justices deliberate on the case.

TikTok's ban in the US is imminent unless Congress steps in (Chesnot/Getty Images)

Amid the news, thousands of TikTok users have been flocking to alternative apps like RedNote.

Meanwhile, others have been thinking about downloading a Virtual Private Network (VPN) tool in an attempt to continue using the video-sharing platform.

How does a VPN work?

Surfshark defines a VPN as a tool that encrypts your internet traffic and successfully hides your Internet Protocol (IP) address to ensure secure web browsing.

There are a variety of different reasons you may use a VPN, with some utilising it to access different countries’ Netflix libraries.

Due to the VPN disguising your tech device’s location, some TikTok users have been debating using one so that they can still use the app.

However, a business expert has issued a warning to anyone looking to try this method out.

Expert says you will face the consequences if you use a VPN

“If there is a law saying, ‘You can’t do this,’ and you do this by using a VPN to circumvent the law, then you are in violation of the law,” business litigator Neil Elan told Dexerto.

The expert, who focuses on high-value intellectual property disputes, said there would probably be ‘a penalty and punishment, likely fines’ for anyone who was caught accessing TikTok via a VPN.

“I wouldn’t recommend using a VPN to get around the law, although I do know that it is common. Whether the lawmakers turn a blind eye or whether it’s strictly enforced is a risk that the user will take,” he added.

An expert has warned against those planning to use a VPN to access TikTok (Getty Stock Image)

However, Elan said that the outcomes all depend on the law.

“It depends on whether it will be acquired, and it depends on who has the authority to enforce the law and how many users try to skirt the law by using a VPN, but certainly the use of a VPN to circumvent the law would potentially render the user to fines and penalties,” he noted.

What will happen if TikTok is banned?

The threat of TikTok no longer being available to use in the US is very real, with some specialists claiming users will be met with a message stating the service is no longer available in the States.

“[Users] will get a notice that says, 'This service is not available in your country',” said Timothy Edgar, a professor of cybersecurity at Brown University, as per CBS MoneyWatch.

“That's most likely what will happen based on what we've seen in other countries that have banned certain platforms.”

Meanwhile, Dr Gabriela Zanfir-Fortuna, vice president for global privacy at the Future of Privacy Forum, claimed that users who already have the app installed on their phone will still be able to access it.

She told TODAY.com: “My understanding is that the current users will be able to continue using it, but it's just they won't be able to download updates or anything like that.

“The app won’t be available on the App Store for new downloads, you know, for new users.

“And then, of course, if you don’t have updates to your apps in the long term, this might not make it possible to have it [be] functional.”