TikTok Ban Thrusts Apple, Google Into US-China Geopolitical Fray

TikTok creators are posting videos promoting ways to get around a looming shutdown of the app in the US, which could spell trouble for Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s Google and other American tech companies required by law to enforce the ban or risk potentially billions in fines.

With less than two weeks to go before the ban kicks in, many influencers are recommending that users change their smartphone settings or get “virtual private networks” to make it appear as though they’re logging in from other countries, like Canada or the UK, where TikTok is permitted. Others are suggesting “sideloading,” the process of downloading TikTok from outside Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store, or using TikTok on a web browser instead.