After years of attempts to ban the Chinese-owned app TikTok, a measure has finally won congressional approval and is on its way to President Biden for his signature. The measure gives ByteDance, the Beijing-based parent company of TikTok, nine months to sell the company, with a possible additional three months if a sale is in progress. If ByteDance fails to comply, TikTok will be banned in the United States.

For the millions of Americans who use TikTok, the ban won't go into effect immediately. ByteDance has at least a year to divest from its U.S. subsidiary, and with potential court challenges, the process could stretch even longer. While TikTok may not disappear from users' phones right away, it would be removed from Apple and Google's app stores, making it impossible to download updates, security patches, and bug fixes. Over time, the app could become unusable and pose a security risk.

Despite the potential ban, there are workarounds that tech-savvy users could explore, such as using VPNs, alternative app stores, or foreign SIM cards. However, migrating to other platforms like Instagram's Reels or YouTube's short video feed may be a more viable option for many users. Popular creators are likely to move to other platforms as well, ensuring that users can still access similar content.

Lawmakers and officials have long expressed concerns about TikTok's ties to the Chinese government and the possibility of data being shared with Chinese authorities. While TikTok has denied these allegations and stated that it has not shared U.S. user data with Chinese authorities, the concerns remain. Data privacy experts warn that China could obtain information on Americans through other means, such as commercial data brokers.

Overall, the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain as ByteDance navigates the divestment process. Users may need to consider alternative platforms in the event of a ban, while also being mindful of potential data privacy risks associated with using TikTok.