Tom Gerken & Liv McMahon
Technology reporters
Image source, Getty Images
The most likely way the US would ban TikTok is to order app stores, such as the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store, to make it unavailable for download in that region.
US lawmakers have already told tech firms to be ready to remove the app from stores if a ban comes into force.
That would mean people could no longer use a legitimate means to access TikTok – though it would also mean people who’ve already got it would still have it on their phones.
Because the app would not be publicly available anymore, new updates could no longer be delivered to users in the US – which would make the app buggier and, eventually, unusable.
-Not to mention that many updates are provided to fix security holes in apps, so if TikTok stopped getting updates that could present hackers with millions of devices to target.
Of course, there are ways around such a ban.
There are already many videos circulating on TikTok informing users how to use a VPN (virtual private network) – a way of making it appear as if you are in another region.
The region of app stores can also be changed on most devices, so anyone can theoretically access apps from other countries – though this may cause other problems, not to mention likely breaking terms of service agreements.
