How is TikTok being blocked in the US?
How is TikTok being blocked in the US?
On a technical level, how is TikTok being blocked/banned in the US?
Can I still sideload the app to my phone? Is it only being banned from the two big app stores? Is there a penalty for being found in possession of the software on US soil?
I believe I read that the ban prohibited new downloads but wouldn't stop existing users from continuing to use, however the parent company kinda put a middle finger up and said they would stop service in the US completely, probably by IP/geofencing? Take with grain of salt.
Yeah. ByteDance, the owners, are choosing to block US users to kick up the maximum fuss possible. From my understanding they didn’t need to, they just risked withering away because there would be no new users.
To be honest, I'm surprised they care as much as they seem to- the US is such a small percentage of their potential user base. If my app lost 5% of my potential new users I'd be curious why, but I probably wouldn't put any effort into getting them back.
Hmm. I'm gonna install it then never use it again lol
Afaik you should still be able to sideload it and use the service with a VPN
So are American ISPs being forced to block TikTok's server's IPs?
afaik the legislation doesn't include active blocking of a qualifying service's (which includes tiktok by name, but is not limited to only it or bytedance) traffic..
it only prohibits the distribution of their 'apps' (such as via google/apple 'stores')--this is the part that does most the heavy lifting, and hosting of their services within the u.s.
No
No
No app store download and no hosting in the u.s. Even if they weren't blocking u s. Users the amount of video traffic suddenly hitting their servers outside the country would cripple their infrastructure and seriously hinder other Internet traffic. Since net neutrality doesn't exist anymore, ISPs can be paid to block it or seriously cripple it.
Still totally legal to install the app and access the content. However the same content will be reposted to other platforms which will be a great passive revenue stream for someone.
How can ISPs tell what app is requesting data? Doesnt it all look the same on their end?
IP address and Domain Names
Don't worry, trump will just cancel that whole shit
Is that a good or bad thing?
This is how.
I believe Google and Apple are to be fined if they don't remove the app from their stores.
We don't have the ability to nationally block the domains and IPs, so current users will still be able to access it. So you shouldn't need a VPN.
Android users could side load the app if they want.
Is it blocked at all? Biden said he wouldn't enforce it yet.
he wouldn't be able to, anyway.
the deadline is the sunday the 19th. monday the 20th is mlk day (federal holiday, courthouses closed. ag couldn't file proceedings to enforce the legislation) and the last morning of the biden administration. diaperking is then in charge. even though it was his idea to begin with, he's flopped on the issue.
I believe thar they said in the news here in Europe, that any service that distributes the tok tok app to the USA market, will be fined $5000 per download!
It will not be illegal to have but it won't be updated in the US market and new users won't be able to download it
The US servers are being shut off because they don’t want to risk the fines even though the current administration said they wouldn’t enforce them. TikTok will go black for us users tomorrow. I’m sure there will some way around it for those dedicated enough to find it but the average user will lose access on 1/19.
Do as all the shithole countries do. Use a VPN.
I know how to get around it. I was curious to know the level at which it was being blocked. Is it the DNS, is it some kind of firewall...etc.
Tbh, it's tik tom blocking you, not the US, the US only requires the app stores to remove it. I think the easiest way for TikTok to find out where the request comes from is the client IP. And the only way to get around this is through a VPN. I don't exactly know though, I haven't seen a lot of technical stuff around it, and I'm not in the US to test it. I'd love to know if anyone else has a tip on this.
Generally the large ISP will receive an order to sinkhole the tt domains for their users. And most normal people use a modem supplied by the ISP it will use the ISP DNS server or their phones will use the mobile providers DNS servers.
It will not block a determined person but it will effectively block it for a large chunk of the US internet.
Man I wish I invested in some VPN stock a few years ago. I'm sure they'll be making a killing with all the us porn bans and now this.
A publicly listed VPN provider would be a huge red flag. No matter what they said, their primary commitment would be to shareholders.
The US won't block it, but it will be blocked. Tik Tok itself said it will turn off it's servers and block US ips like it did with India.
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/17/politics/tiktok-ban-supreme-court/index.html
So it will be tik tok itself enforcing the ban. Which is hilarious. USA showed all this bravado and now has to turn around and beg tik tok to return. I fully expect in the long run tik tok will be sold to Chinese agent Elon Musk and be turned into the spy apparatus US claims it to be. The whole situation shows what a clown USA is.
Why anyone who matters care enough to beg them to come back?
How should I know? But you have Biden insisting he won't enforce the law and Trump promising he'll stop the ban and make sure tik tok stays. He's even inviting their CEO to his inauguration. On the other hand it's tik tok threatening to shutdown now if they don't fix it sooner. It's a strange turn of events but I have no idea why USA thinks begging is the appropriate move.
I mean seriously, if you want an answer ask the US government why all the important people like both presidents are begging. It's not me making this decision.
Edit
Don't take my word for it. Here's an article by the rolling stones magazine on it and how all the important people are scrambling to save tik tok. No joke, I'd like someone to explain why all these important people care.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/biden-dems-tiktok-ban-1235239244/
There are multiple ways of doing this and I'm not sure which methods tik tok is using.
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ip address there's a group called IANA that issues blocks of IP addresses to ISPs and there a companies like Maxmind that package that info. apps can create rules block requests based on that info that block requests coming from a specific location or return an error to the user
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removing from the app store Companies can ask app stores to no longer offer downloads in a specific region and as the app updates it will become more busted over time
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user information Based info provided by the user directly during sign up or from the social login a user used to sign up with tik tok
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When is ticktock... Why is ticktock.. Who is ticktock?
Go to loops! Let's move on: https://loops.video/
I don't care if it lives or dies. I don't use it at all but I was curious to know how the ban/block was being implemented.
Loops is basically impossible to join though. The email verification takes literal hours, if the email arrives at all.
I tried today and couldn't join.
iOS only. Sucks.
Why do they care enough to listen? It isn't a US based company. I understand if they remove their US servers, but why do they have to block IPs?
Can't US users just get a VPN? Is this whole situation a ploy to ban VPNs and privacy?
Yes, they can just use a VPN. I've told this to several people in my life and many of them write that off as being too difficult to figure out. I even gave my VPN un & pw to a family member with a link to download the app and they still just said "nah."
Some people just can't be bothered to try, I guess.
With greed.