TikTok banned latest: Complete app shutdown looms as company CEO set to testify at Congress

The Biden administration is currently attempting to pass the RESTRICT ACT, which attorneys say would allow the US government to bypass language protections embedded in existing law.

But how would a TikTok ban actually be implemented?

US officials are yet to provide specifics on how a total ban would actually be implemented in the US, but it would likely result in Apple and Google removing it from their app stores and ISPs blocking access to the site.

There are always ways to circumvent such bans – most likely any VPN would be able to circumvent all restrictions – but when the same thing happened in India, most users simply switched to copycat short-form content set up by YouTube and Facebook.

“I feel like I’ve had opportunities as a trans woman on this platform that I never would have had if I hadn’t been for TikTok,” said Hearts, who is known on TikTok as @naomiheartsxo. It’s very disheartening to see people trying to take that away.”

And she added, “I’m doing this because I want to be the representation I would have liked to have seen growing up.”

“I feel like the app is… a place where people feel a sense of humanity and togetherness, so it’s really disheartening to watch.” [a possible ban] but I hope our stories will help change theirs [politicians’] bothers a bit,” she told NBC News.

“I want to clear up the misconception that it’s just an app. It’s so much more than that,” said Duncan Joseph, who has more than 4.5 million followers on his @duncanyounot account.

“If it were to be removed, these communities cannot just go somewhere else. That’s home… and you just can’t rip that social fabric from so many people.”

V Spehar, known as @underthedesknews on TikTok, still believes the Biden administration understands the importance of TikTok.

“I think the White House certainly recognizes the importance and reach of this platform, or I wouldn’t have two letters signed by Joe Biden on my desk at home right now saying how important my platform is and how proud he is of his work.” that I do,” Spehar told NBC News.

Content creator Aidan Kohn-Murphy, known as @aidanpleasestoptalking, has nearly 300,000 TikTok followers.

“When Trump threatened to ban TikTok, young people mobilized. It was one of the big factors behind youth voter turnout in 2020,” said Mr. Kohn-Murphy, who also runs the @GenZforChange account.

“I think young people are already dissatisfied with politics in a lot of ways, and I think that’s going to build on that,” he told NBC News.

His warning that “all 150 million” US users could be banned has already spawned dozens of “duets” from TikTok users, with the majority of them apparently offering their support for both Chew and TikTok.

While the official TikTok account where the video was posted has nearly 70 million followers and 288 million likes, Chew’s personal account has only 17,000 followers and 68,000 likes. He could see that change in the coming days when his appearance before Congress would make headlines around the world.

To The Independent‘s coverage of TikTok and the looming US ban. We’ll bring you the latest news and developments as CEO Shou Chew prepares to face questions from lawmakers in Washington on Thursday.

Its appearance could prove pivotal in whether the Biden administration decides to move forward with a total ban on the hugely popular app, having already blocked it from devices used by government employees and military personnel. TikTok was the most downloaded app in the US last year, with each action expected to affect more than 150 million users.