As of January 19, 2025, TikTok has been officially banned across the United States, leaving millions of users without access to the app. The ban was implemented due to national security concerns, as the app was found to have ties to the Chinese government. This raised concerns about the data of approximately 170 million Americans potentially being funneled to the Chinese government.

With the app now blocked, many users are considering using a VPN, or Virtual Private Network, to bypass the ban. A VPN masks the IP address of a user, making it appear as if they are located in a different part of the world. This can be used to access services that are otherwise blocked in a specific location.

However, while a VPN can mask an IP address, it may not fully bypass the TikTok ban. This is because TikTok can also use geolocation data, which has been collected over time and linked to a TikTok account, to determine the location of a device. Reports indicate that users may need to create a new account with a VPN activated to avoid this issue.

Early testing has shown that while the TikTok app may not work with a VPN, the web browser version can, particularly if the user has not already signed into the web version.