Why can I still use TikTok after ban

The Act to Protect Americans from Applications Controlled by Foreign Adversaries would make it illegal for app stores and web hosting services to distribute or service TikTok.

ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, could sell the company to avoid the ban. President-elect Donald Trump has urged the Supreme Court to delay the ban until he takes office, but right now the January 19 deadline is looming.

So what will happen to users after that deadline? You won’t be able to download TikTok, but it’s unclear what will happen if you already have the app. An expert told CBS News that users will likely get a black screen that says “this service is not available in your country.”

But other cybersecurity experts suggest that it will still be available, but the user experience will degrade over time as updates and security patches are blocked for US users.

The other option would be a VPN. It stands for virtual private network. The service establishes a digital connection between your computer and a remote server owned by the VPN provider. They can be used to hide your device’s location. Since this new law does not target users, experts say that using a VPN to access TikTok will not be illegal. But they warn that some free VPNs make money by selling user data, so do your research beforehand.