What would happen to TikTok on my phone if the app gets banned?

TikTok is facing a possible ban in the USA later this month, if a law that could require Chinese social media app owner ByteDance to divest itself of the platform goes into effect as planned on January 19.

Specifically, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversaries Act would control applications make it illegal for app stores from Google or Apple, as well as web hosting services, to distribute or service TikTok. If ByteDance had started the process of selling TikTok, the president could also push a pause on the adoption of the law for 90 days.

The Supreme Court on January 11 heard arguments from government lawyers, who say TikTok poses a threat to US national security, and from lawyers for the social media platform. Experts said the judges appeared receptive to the government’s case, increasing the likelihood of a ban. Here’s what it would mean for TikTok users in the US

Could I use TikTok after the ban?

If the law goes into effect on January 19, people in the US who have not already downloaded the TikTok app will no longer be able to access it. It will no longer be available for download in app stores, including Apple’s and Google’s.

For TikTok users who already have the short video app on their devices, it remains to be seen what happens with the app. In one scenario, it will go dark and users will receive a message indicating that it is not functional or available to them.

“They’ll get a message saying, ‘This service is not available in your country. That’s most likely what will happen based on what we’ve seen in other countries that have banned certain platforms,'” Timothy Edgar, professor of cybersecurity at Brown University, told CBS MoneyWatch. “This generation could be in for a very rude awakening if the law goes into effect and they find a major social media platform that they came to trust as creators or just users suddenly unavailable.”

While such an action would be unprecedented in the U.S., that has been the experience of users of banned apps in other countries, added Edgar, who believes this is most likely an outcome in the U.S.

Other cybersecurity experts say that TikTok may not become unavailable overnight, but rather that the user experience in the United States will degrade over time.

“If you already have TikTok on your phone, you can still use it, but over time you won’t receive any updates, so the app will become outdated,” said Qi Liao, a professor of computer and network security at Central Michigan University. CBS MoneyWatch. “Different issues may arise because TikTok may introduce new features or security patches, and the app in the US will have sluggish performance as well as security issues. So, eventually, TikTok users will likely stop using the vulnerable version.”

Could I access TikTok through a VPN?

Edgar notes that the new law does not target users, meaning that even if the ban goes into effect, it would not be illegal for people to have TikTok on their phones or attempt to access the platform.

In fact, US-based users would likely be able to circumvent the ban by using a virtual private network to access TikTok. VPNs offer privacy and can make US-based computers appear to ISPs to be based outside the country.

Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit focused on digital rights, told CBS MoneyWatch that U.S. TikTok users would likely be able to bypass the ban via VPN, although that approach carries risks.

“Probably it would work fine,” she said, while cautioning that “a lot of free VPNs make money by selling user data.”

Galperin added that some free VPN service providers have been known to install malware on users’ devices. “So I would advise people to be very careful about the VPN they choose,” she said.

Meanwhile, Edgar warned that more sophisticated VPNs require time, money and effort to set up.

“It’s not something Americans are used to doing because we haven’t experienced our government filtering the Internet,” he said.

What are some TikTok alternatives?

Users looking for a TikTok replacement app have alternatives such as YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels.

“Short-form video content is something people want, and they will continue to find ways to get it,” Edgar said.

Another replacement is Lemon8, a social media app owned by ByteDance that launched in 2020, though experts note it could be subject to the same law that threatens to ban TikTok in the US