In the early days of the U.S. ban, it was unclear how feasible it would be to bypass restrictions on U.S. accounts. TikTok appears to have taken a more extreme approach by blackening any U.S. version of the app, blocking versions of the TikTok app software from being downloaded and used by U.S. users. Also, accounts associated with the United States appear to be blocked regardless of IP address or SIM card country information.
Simply running a VPN is certainly not enough to circumvent the ban and get back on TikTok. But using a non-US TikTok account after removing the SIM card (or on a device without a US SIM card/US phone number) seems to work when combined with a VPN. Likewise, using a VPN with a desktop browser or Tor Browser was enough to load a non-US TikTok account in the United States early Sunday morning, although the desktop version of TikTok has always been more restricted than its mobile app.
“TikTok checks the source IP of network packets and if the source IP belongs to India, it drops the packet,” Gosain explained of the Indian restrictions. "In addition, the TikTok app gets the country information embedded in the SIM card and filters the network connection if the country code is "IN". When we remove the SIM card, the TikTok app cannot identify it from the SIM card Indian users, and when we use a VPN, the IP address changes and it no longer belongs to the Indian IP range. So, TikTok again doesn't recognize that the user is accessing from India."
A virtual private network, or VPN, works by routing your internet traffic through servers that are physically maintained around the world, so you can choose an IP address that is different from where you are actually located. For example, TikTok users in the United States can use a VPN to make it appear that they are accessing the Internet from outside the United States. A VPN can also prevent your Internet Service Provider (ISP) from seeing your browsing data, adding an extra layer of potential privacy. When you use a VPN, your ISP only sees the connection to the VPN and does not have access to a detailed list of all the websites you are visiting.
Because of these capabilities, VPNs are often used to try to bypass digital geolocation restrictions, such as those on Netflix or other streaming platforms. They are also an important and familiar tool for people living under authoritarian regimes such as Russia, China, and Iran in schemes to circumvent internet censorship.
However, there are some caveats when using a VPN. Some commercial VPNs log people's browsing history, which essentially just shifts data collection from the ISP to the VPN manufacturer. This means the data is no more protected, and law enforcement can request the data from the VPN provider in the same way as they would their ISP. For this reason, it's usually not a good idea to choose a free VPN, and some will even sell access to your home internet connection. But some VPNs publish no-logging policies and offer third-party audits and other transparency features in an attempt to demonstrate compliance.
As it stands, TikTok's approach to blocking US users is extremely harsh, and even a non-US SIM card or no SIM card plus VPN may not be a viable way to get back into the app with a US TikTok account. Regardless, these restrictions may only be temporary. In fact, the United States appears to have little interest in a permanent ban. And, despite raising the idea, President Trump has said in recent days that he does not want the app banned.
"My decision on TikTok will be made in the near future, but I must have time to review the situation," Trump said in a Truth Social post on Friday. "stay tuned!"