US TikTok Users Say They Can’t Access App Even With VPNs
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TikTok users in the United States report being unable to access the app, even with VPNs, following a federal ban that caused the app to go dark Saturday evening.
The platform confirmed the shutdown, which affects an estimated 170 million U.S. users, citing compliance with new legislation signed by President Joe Biden in April. Newsweek reached out to TikTok and major service providers, including Oracle, for comment but did not receive responses by publication.
Why It Matters
American politicians raised concerns about the app’s potential for manipulation of users and data by the Chinese government, leading to the passage of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.
The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the ban as valid, even as Biden indicated he won’t enforce the ban and President-elect Donald Trump has regularly said he will look at options to avoid it.
A person holding an iPhone displaying a message that TikTok is no longer available, January 18, 2025. The app’s users in the United States report being unable to access the app, even with VPNs. A person holding an iPhone displaying a message that TikTok is no longer available, January 18, 2025. The app’s users in the United States report being unable to access the app, even with VPNs. Smith Collection/Gado/ASSOCIATED PRESS
What To Know
The shutdown began Saturday evening, as TikTok was removed from Apple and Google app stores in the U.S.
A message on the app confirmed the closure: “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
The notification added: “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
The VPN workaround, which is popular for accessing sites unavailable in the U.S., proved ineffective because TikTok completely ceased operation of its U.S.-based servers, removing access to all accounts registered on that server or with a U.S. phone number.
Monthly American print and digital magazine Wired reported on Sunday that it was able to restore access by opening the mobile app and logging in to a non-US TikTok account after removing their phone’s U.S. SIM card while using a VPN. Similarly, Wired said it could access the more-limited desktop version of TikTok while using a VPN with a desktop browser.
What People Are Saying
Many American users on other social media posted that Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), which allow users to connect to the internet via a virtual server in a different country, did not restore access to TikTok.
On X, TikTok trended for 7.5 hours on Sunday, with users sharing viral reaction posts about the ban and their lack of success using VPNs.
User @1llicitBuck wrote on X: “Omgggg [oh my God] even a vpn doesn’t work to access TikTok,” alongside a GIF of a women screaming and crying while being restrained by two others. The post was viewed 9.5 million times by Saturday morning.
User @skatedonem posted on X: “TikTok not even working with a VPN …” alongside a reaction GIF of a man holding a knife and fork with shaking hands before sweeping the plates and bowls off the table in a rage. The post was viewed over 4 million times by Sunday morning.
User @problemsthots posted on X: “THE VPN NOT WORKING” alongside a reaction GIF of a man shaking his head and smashing a glass of Champagne, garnering more than 1.1 million views by Sunday morning.
What Happens Next
President-elect Donald Trump is expected to address TikTok’s status on Monday, his first day in office.
Trump has indicated a 90-day extension is likely, giving time to explore divestiture options. TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew is reportedly attending the inauguration, signaling ongoing negotiations.
The platform’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain as legal and political developments unfold.
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Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
