InfoSecBulletin Cybersecurity for mankind
vpnMentor’s Research Team is monitoring the potential TikTok ban in the U.S., driven by national security and data privacy issues. ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, is under pressure to sell its U.S. operations by January 19, 2025, or face a ban due to concerns about user data security and possible connections to the Chinese government.
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In 2020, during the 1st Trump administration, concerns about national security prompted initial discussions on banning TikTok.
The “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications” Act was passed in April 2024, requiring ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations by January 19, 2025. The act also requires internet hosting providers and app store companies, such as Apple and Google, to stop supporting TikTok.
Public opinion on the ban has shifted over time, with varying views on data privacy and freedom of expression.
Legal challenges and government discussions have been ongoing to prevent the ban from taking effect.
President-elect Donald Trump sought a delay for the TikTok ban in late December 2024, intending to reach a political resolution during his administration and expressed on January 18th that he will most probably issue a 90 days delay for that.
However, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to uphold their resolution, mandating ByteDance’s divestment from TikTok.
ByteDance decided to suspend their operation in the USA about an hour and a half before the deadline.
Tiktok is removed from the Google Play Store and the Apple Store.
ByteDance’s other apps like CapCut and Marvel Snap also shut down.
Following the decision to ban TikTok, there was a significant increase in demand for Virtual Private Network (VPN) services in the USA. Before the ban, VPN usage was already rising steadily, with a 30% increase since 2024. However, on January 18th, the day before TikTok ceased operations in the country, demand surged dramatically.
The surge in demand hit its peak with a massive 1566% spike within minutes following the app’s shutdown in the country. However, this rapid escalation swiftly subsided as certain users discovered that utilizing a VPN proved futile due to the restriction blocking not only IP addresses but apparently all accounts originating from the USA.
The VPNmentor research team confirms that, despite fluctuations in trends, our latest update has increased by 1400%.
The increase in VPN usage raises concerns. While VPNs provide privacy and safer browsing, selecting the wrong provider can cause security problems.
The vpnmentor team advises users to choose VPN providers carefully and focus on security features to protect their online privacy. Key features to prioritize include strong encryption, a no-logs policy, a kill switch, and DNS leak protection to improve online security and privacy.
