If the looming TikTok ban comes to fruition, the app won’t automatically vanish from people’s phones, and they won’t be punished just for using it or logging in, as many of us might’ve imagined.

However, it will be harder for U.S. citizens to access the social media platform, as app stores like Apple's App Store and Google Play, as well as cloud service providers such as Oracle, will no longer be legally allowed to distribute, maintain and update the app. This will present a big barrier for people to continue to access TikTok, which will significantly reduce the platform’s user base. 

Without the possibility of updates, the platform won’t be able to fix issues, add features, or implement security measures. This means that over time, it will start to crash, operate slower, and even become incompatible with certain operating systems. Eventually, it will become unusable. It’s just too early to tell exactly when. We could be talking about a matter of days, weeks, or even months. 

The security concerns about TikTok have been going around for a few years, which led to the U.S. House of Representatives passing legislation on March 13, 2024, demanding the platform owner, Chinese company ByteDance, to sell it within six months or they’re going to be banned in the US. 

Certified information privacy professional and director of the Internet Ethics Program at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Irina Raicu, tells us that the U.S. government sees TikTok as a national security threat for two reasons.

"First, it collects a lot of personal information about all its users, including American users, and the detailed data collected could be accessed by the Chinese government since TikTok has to comply with Chinese law," she explained.

"Second, via its recommendation algorithm, the company can control what information and perspectives people get on various issues, which can be seen as a kind of manipulation (and can be used for propaganda)," Raicu added.

"The concerns are not unique to TikTok—the law applies to any apps that are based in "foreign adversary" countries, which include Russia and Iran, for example. But the scale of TikTok's adoption and usage in the U.S. makes it stand out even from other large social media platforms."

It’s worth mentioning that there was at least one proven accident of data misuse related to ByteDance. In 2022, the company’s chief internal auditor used journalists’ IP addresses to find the cause of the unauthorized release of information within the organization. This was confirmed as true, though it doesn’t have anything to do with the government’s claims.

Meanwhile, TikTok, despite being tied to its parent company, ByteDance, based in China, has never operated there. Their headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore and are subject to the laws of the United States.

The TikTok ban bill is based on the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which was passed with overwhelming support from both Republican and Democratic representatives. By the end of April 2024, the U.S. Senate passed the bill and President Biden signed the National Security Act, which includes the TikTok ban, officially enacting it.

The bill signed by Biden lists that ByteDance will have to find new ownership for the platform within 9 months. The time could be extended by 90 days if they find a buyer and the deal is still in progress, which falls on around April 24, 2025.

Understandably, the company tried pushing back, claiming that the law was unconstitutional. The ban would have dire consequences as it employs around 7,000 workers and nearly 5 million businesses used it to start their companies and grow them.

Despite this, people remain relatively positive about it. Mainly because they’re already looking into new workplaces or alternative ways to access TikTok.

"If the current "ban" (some argue it's not that) is allowed to stand, people will still be able to access TikTok—by using VPNs, for example. But cybersecurity experts are cautioning users to be very careful in choosing the VPNs," said Raicu.

The VPN that Raicu mentions is a virtual private network that can change a device’s location data and allow it to access content as another country’s citizen. By using them, people could still work around the ban. Meanwhile, TikTok creators are planning to move to other platforms like YouTube and Instagram.

As another alternative, some TikTok users are rebelliously seeking shelter as 'refugees’ in the app Red Note, the China-based sister of TikTok. In fact, the sudden flood of Americans made the app number one on the App Store for two whole days.

Many people are glad to join this platform, as it made them realize how wrong their opinions about China were. American users were also welcomed with open arms and what seems like within a blink, every post on Red Note had Mandarin and English subtitles. For an app that was previously solely catered to people in China, the switch is impressive.

Some creators who relocated to Red Note experienced even bigger success than on TikTok. Just like fashion designer Marcus Robinson, who created an account on the platform to promote his clothing company and share his thrifting adventures. He didn’t expect to garner 10,000 followers in the span of 36 hours. “I honestly feel like my brand will grow a lot quicker than it did on TikTok,” he said to Time. “They're all asking for clothes, asking me to model clothes. Everything's flying right now.”

Everything considered, there are still many uncertainties surrounding this ban, as with the start of Trump’s presidency, the ban could be appealed. Or it can still be sold, which might mean that TikTok won’t go anywhere. But just in case, as X user Thickie Smalls suggested, scroll and laugh as much as you can!

Lastly, don't forget to be safe on any platform, not just TikTok, warns Raicu. "The data privacy and algorithmic manipulation concerns are systemic ones and go beyond any particular social media company; on the flip side, individuals have different vulnerabilities and privacy preferences—so they will have to make choices based on a combination of both their own and the broader systemic issues. Whether we use TikTok or not, we should all be pushing for broader, more effective privacy protections," she concluded.