Can I block Tiktok purely by DNS?
Can I block Tiktok purely by DNS?
@nostupidquestions Can I block Tiktok purely by DNS?
It doesn't seem to work in NextDNS even if it says in the logs they're being blocked.
11 comments
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I have tried. It is very difficult. In fact tiktok and Instagram have so many domanin names and IP addresses that it is hard to list them all and block them.
Blocking the main domain would prevent you from accessing the web site, but the mobile app would work. Then you can block the api and stuff, but clients already connected would still work because they rely on the CDNs. When you block a good bunch of the network, the app would just feel Brocken, not blocked. When users keep reloading they will find a CDN you have not blocked yet. Also, they will still get notifications because they are pushed via Google services. They won't see them in the app however.
So you just need to monitor the logs to keep blocking tiktok domains that pop up.
If you can block via regex or joker chars (*) then, it would be easier for you.
You can look up domains list of tiktok on the internet for a good start.
For my experience, I just managed to make tiktok and Instagram broken enough to frustrate the users and discourage its use over the network.
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The only way I was able to block TikTok was to use Adguard and block it under Filter -> Services.
You cannot block it just by domain as they use CDN's and it is just a constant game of whack a mole to try and block them.
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I'm curious on why you want to do this. If you're managing an open wifi used by a large number of people (e.g. at a school), it's very different from if you just want to block it at home. But for the latter I don't really see why you'd do it through DNS.
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@NeatNit because my router sucks and i don't think the firewall works
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Well, I hope the other answers help you out.
Why do you need to block it? Why not just uninstall it? (I can think of some reasons but I don't know what yours is)
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Have you tried flushing the DNS cache in the system that you're testing on?
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Not sure if this is relevant for your case, but make sure you're also blocking subdomains of the specified domains. Adguard for example allows doing that easily via regex-like rules.
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@benni I use Nextdns tiktok list but I'm looking at the logs and there's no obvious tiktok domains or sandwiched to tiktok domains non-obvious domains
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Short answer: yes
11 comments
You can try https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nextdns/services/main/services/tiktok
Its the blocklist used by rethink DNS on android for blocking tiktok.
This is a supplemental list that I use along with the nextdns list: hagezi TikTok extended list.
This blocks 1p and 3p fingerprinting around the greater web but isn’t designed to block actual access to TikTok. That’s why it’s necessary to use both lists in tandem.
Edit: Alternatively if you’re using a service like pihole, pfblocker-ng or opnsenses unbound module, a few regex entries will accomplish what you’re looking for.