TikTok Warns All Users—Do 4 Things To Secure Your Account Now

TikTok’s unprecedented ban in the U.S. remains in the balance, with politics and judicial indecision keeping 170 million users in a social media limbo land ahead of Sunday’s deadline. What we do know is that if the ban goes ahead it’s likely to mean the platform completely shutting down in the U.S. almost immediately. All users will then hope for an equally instant, Trumpian resurrection next week when the new president takes office. What’s less clearcut is the impact this will have on non-U.S. users. Given the raft of American users and service providers, the effects will be widespread.

What is clearcut is that scammers will be out in their droves looking to trick users into clicking and installing shortcuts and workarounds as the deadline approaches and then passes. Any event of this magnitude is a honeypot to bad actors, who know there will be plenty of users out there itching to tap or point and click at a solution for their missing fixes. And as much of a novelty as other platforms might be — including tier-two Chinese alternatives, that buzz will quickly fade.

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It’s imperative that all users secure their accounts before the deadline hits. Whatever chaos may ensue come Sunday, don’t add to the mix. If you’re in the U.S. and your account is locked down, then you know that come the resurrection all will be well. If you’re outside the U.S., you should also check these four things settings now, ahead of the weekend.

First, my recommendation would be to change your password unless you know it’s strong and unique. You should also be using a password manager, which will help make sure you’re not reusing any old favorites. Have the password manager suggest a new password for you, one that is long and complex.

Second, you should — obviously — turn on two-step verification, which you can find in Security & Permissions — 2-step verification. At a minimum, ensure your email address and phone number are added to receive codes. Phone is better than email. You can also use an authentication app for added security, as that’s even better. That same tab provides a QR code you can use with the authenticator app on your phone.

Also within that tab, you can check the third setting which is the trusted devices linked to your account. Make sure you recognize any that are there, and remove any you do not. That setting is at the bottom of the page. You should also check on ‘Manage devices,” which will likely list your current and old phones. Delete all the old ones you no longer use.

Finally, TikTok advises that you check on any security alerts the platform might have sent you. “Our teams monitor for suspicious or unauthorized activity. You can keep track of recent unusual security events that you don't recognize.” To do so, tap on ‘Security alerts’ which is in that same ‘Security & permissions’ tab. Act on any you find.

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A week from now we will know more about TikTok’s medium to long-term future in the U.S., but it could be a wild ride between now and then. Just make sure you’re locked down and don’t take any risks. Remember, there are no quick fixes or secretive workarounds. Any that come to you by email, message or social media post will be scams. Ignore them all.

And you need to be equally careful before you install a VPN to try to mask your U.S. location in case that helps — there’s no guarantee that it will given the platform is going dark in the U.S. as opposed to being blocked. Avoid free VPNs and ensure you only install one from a reputable western developer. No free VPN is worth the risk.

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