What is the best VPN to use on TikTok?

4 August 2020, 17:31

Donald Trump says TikTok will be "out of business" by September 15th unless a company buys it

By Jazmin Duribe

Could using a VPN get around the possible TikTok ban in the US? Let's investigate.

With US President Donald Trump threatening to ban Chinese-owned app TikTok over allegations that American citizens private data is being sent to the Chinese government and their handling of the coronavirus pandemic, users of the popular app are looking into ways to get their TikTok fix.

There are currently thought to be around 80 million US TikTok users who are determined to continue using TikTok – could changing VPN be an answer to the internet's prayers?

In case you didn't know, Donald Trump announced he would be banning TikTok. "We’re gonna keep looking at TikTok; we’re thinking about making a decision because there’s no question what the Big Tech companies are doing is very bad," he said in an interview with Gray Television.

There's also concern that the app has violated US privacy laws with claims TikTok has been collecting personal data from children under the age of 13 without parental consent. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo told Fox News that officials were looking at banning the app because Chinese companies were "feeding data directly to the Chinese Communist party". TikTok has denied that this is case, insisting that US TikTok users' data is stored in America.

READ MORE: Has Donald Trump banned TikTok in the US?

It's not known if or when the ban would be enforced, but Microsoft are planning on purchasing TikTok, with the US company promising to keep data secure. They have until September 15 to seal the deal.

How could a VPN get around TikTok's ban?

The use of VPNs to change the IP address of your device or router is nothing new. Basically, changing the VPN just reroutes all of your internet traffic via a secure server somewhere else. Essentially, it means you could change your location to somewhere outside of the US to get around the ban. It's something people from India have been doing ever since the Indian government banned TikTok and multiple other Chinese-owned apps in July.

However, VPNs may not be the solution everyone is hoping for. NordVPN, one of the world's most popular providers, told Tech Radar: "VPNs can allow US users to access TikTok, however, this depends on how the ban is enforced. If the app, for example, is illegal in the country – official app stores are forced to remove it and it gets much more difficult to download the app. Apps and websites as well can be blocked by ISPs. These two measures can be applied separately or together." Yikes.

So if the TikTok app is actually axed, using a VPN when in the US won't really help. Of course, TikTok doesn't have to be consumed via the app only, you could just use their desktop site.

What VPN is best for TikTok?

There a countless free VPNs out there – but they might not always be the best option. Free VPNs aren't always safe for your personal data, with some hacking social media accounts and bank accounts. They can also be harmful to your device. However, many popular VPNs like FlyVPN, NordVPN and ExpressVPN offer free trial periods and it's best to test multiple rather than sticking to one.

Apparently, the hallmark of a good VPN include having fast and nearby servers for a better connection and a VPN that has no logs, which grants you anonymity and keeps your data safe.