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The Chinese-owned company said it would cut off its services unless the U.S. assures Apple, Google and other companies that they would not be punished for hosting and distributing TikTok.
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It all started in April of last year when President Joe Biden signed a law passed by Congress effectively banning TikTok in the United States unless the Chinese-owned social media giant is sold. TikTok responded the following May by suing the U.S. government, arguing the law violates First Amendment rights. TikTok eventually lost that bid to overturn the law as well.
In one final attempt, TikTok appealed the decision and took the case to the Supreme Court. As of right now that case is still ongoing, however, as we wait for all the legal issues to resolve, now is a good time to stay two steps ahead, and ponder a fundamental question: If the ban does go into effect, could a VPN help you get around the new restrictions?
Much of the answer keys into the specific nature of the ban—namely, that app stores in the U.S. would ostensibly be forced to remove the TikTok app from their marketplaces. If that's how the ban plays out, then theoretically a VPN should put you back in business, with the huge caveat that you'll already need to have the TikTok app installed prior to the ban.
There's a lot to unpack here, including what the law would require of TikTok, and how technically savvy users could respond. Read on for details. And if you're looking for a VPN to make your digital life more more secure—or, who knows, preserve TikTok access—check out my rankings of the
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