What TikTok being banned in US could actually mean for users

TikTok is set to be banned in America as of this week, but what does it actually mean for users in the US?

Despite being launched in 2016, it wasn't really until the pandemic that TikTok had us all hooked.

There are currently 1.58 billion users on the platform worldwide, but that figure could be slashed drastically on January 19.

President Joe Biden proposed a law in April 2024, that required TikTok to be sold off from its China-based parent company, ByteDance, or it faces a US ban.

And it seems as though the latter is quite likely.

The Supreme Court took a look at the proposed law on Friday (January 10), and it's safe to say the hearing did not go in TikTok's favour.

However, there are currently a lot of questions surrounding how exactly the US government would go about banning the platform.

So what would it really mean for users?

Removing TikTok from the app store

The platform is at risk of being banned in the US. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

It's likely expected that the US government will force app store operators, such as Google and Apple, to block Americans from downloading the app.

It means that new users won't have access to the platform, and current users won't be able download the necessary updates.

While it's not an immediate ban, it makes it a lot more difficult for Americans to use the social media site long-term.

Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told CNN’s Terms of Service podcast: "Potentially, vulnerabilities will become known in the app, and hackers will take advantage of those vulnerabilities to compromise your account or your device."

American internet service providers could also be forced by the government to block TikTok - making it impossible to load up the web version of the platform.

Is there any way of getting around the ban?

The Supreme Court held a hearing on Friday, January 10. (Getty Stock Images)

The good news is, there will be almost certainly a way around the proposed ban, despite the route that the government take to ban the site.

Thanks so VPNs (virtual private networks), you are able to hide your location data and appear as though you are using the platform from a different country.

The cybersecurity chief added: "In Turkey, for example, a lot of social media sites have been blocked for years, and having a VPN that gets around that censorship is something that nearly every single person in Turkey does."

However, some believe that there is still time for ByteDance to change their mind about selling the company.

Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar told the Supreme Court: "When push comes to shove and these restrictions take effect, I think it will fundamentally change the landscape with respect to what ByteDance is willing to consider."

Will Trump as president change things?

It turns out that all of this could just be a whole load of nothing, as President-elect Donald Trump’s promises to save TikTok.

And his inauguration takes place on January 20...the day after the ban is supposed to be implemented.

Legal experts have suggested that Trump could simply choose not to enforce the law, and ensure app store operators that they will not be fined for ignoring the ban in the process.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, said during the hearing: "I am a little concerned that a suggestion that the president-elect or anyone else would not enforce the law, when a law is in effect and is prohibitive of certain action, that a company would choose to ignore enforcement on any assurance, other than a change in that law."

But I guess we'll just have to wait and see...