The TikTok shutdown is locking out non-US customers, too

TikTok’s US shutdown final evening seems to be affecting customers outdoors the nation as properly. Individuals have taken to social media within the hours since, complaining they’ll’t entry the app regardless of dwelling in non-US nations, and it’s not all the time clear why.

In some circumstances, the issue seems to be utilizing a VPN that routes visitors via the US. One person on Reddit says they’re primarily based within the UK, noticed the message that’s presupposed to be displayed solely within the US in a single day, and located {that a} fast location change of their VPN app fastened it:

I acquired that message myself within the UK I instantly thought to test my Vpn, yep it was going via Miami as soon as I modified that TikTok is ok.

This doesn’t work in all circumstances, although. The unique creator of that thread additionally claims to reside within the UK, however they are saying they weren’t utilizing a VPN. As a substitute, they think the issue is that they had been dwelling within the US after they created their foremost account. Different individuals who signed up within the US additionally report they’ll’t entry the app, regardless of now dwelling in nations like Canada, Germany, Australia, Greece, and Poland.

However some customers, who title their location as the UK, Canada, and Australia, say they didn’t create their account within the US — and in some circumstances that they’ve by no means been there in any respect. Nonetheless others complain that the app is blocked for them in nations like Morocco or Eire. One person, who says they’re Mozambican, speculates it’s as a result of they acquired round their nation’s monetization legal guidelines by setting their account area to the US.

TikTok didn’t instantly reply to our request for touch upon what may very well be inflicting individuals dwelling outdoors the US to lose entry.