£42,000 Roaming Bill: How TikTok Caused It Abroad
In short, here's what you'll discover in this article: how eight hours of TikTok in Morocco reportedly produced a £42,000 roaming bill, why an uncapped business contract made it possible, and the settings that can prevent the same shock on your next trip.
What happened in the £42,000 TikTok roaming case?
A family holiday in Marrakech became a warning about unchecked data roaming. Manchester business owner Andrew Alty received an initial O2 bill of £22,000 while abroad. A second bill of about £20,000 followed after the family returned to the UK.
According to The Guardian’s report, his daughter had used TikTok for roughly eight hours. The total worked out at more than £5,000 for each hour of use. The activity was not reported as fraud or a hacked phone. It was ordinary mobile data passing through a foreign network.
The handset was attached to a business account supplied by O2 and purchased through Currys. Crucially, the contract reportedly included an opt-out from the rest-of-world data cap. That meant usage outside Europe could continue without the usual financial brake.
Currys and O2 eventually agreed to waive the charges in full after the case was reviewed. Therefore, the family did not ultimately have to pay the £42,000. However, travellers should not assume that every disputed roaming bill will be cancelled.
⚠️ Morocco is not in the EU. A UK allowance that works in Britain or selected European destinations does not automatically cover mobile data there.
How can TikTok create such a large roaming bill?
TikTok continuously loads short videos, previews, adverts and the next items in the feed. Because playback feels effortless, it is easy to forget that the phone is downloading data every few seconds. Higher video quality and longer sessions increase that consumption.
The dangerous combination is simple: video streaming, a high out-of-zone data rate and no active spending limit. The app itself does not set the roaming price. Instead, the mobile contract determines what each unit of data costs while the phone is connected abroad.
- Autoplay keeps data moving: the next clip often loads before you choose it.
- Background activity adds usage: app refreshes, cloud backups and photo syncing may continue.
- A foreign network supplies the connection: your home operator then bills under its roaming terms.
- No cap removes the stop point: the session can continue while charges accumulate.
This is why the screen does not need to show an obvious warning for the cost to rise. The user sees a familiar app, while the network sees chargeable international data.
Why did the roaming cap not stop the charges?
A roaming cap only protects you if it applies to your line, destination and type of contract. In this case, reporting said the business agreement had opted out of a rest-of-world cap. The account holder said that point had not been clearly explained.
Business and personal contracts may have different controls. Company accounts can also be managed centrally, so the person carrying the phone may not know which limits are active. Moreover, a general account spend limit and a specific roaming restriction are not always presented in the same place.
Ofcom’s roaming rules, effective since 1 October 2024, require UK mobile providers to notify customers when a device starts roaming. The alert must include information about applicable charges and, where relevant, bill limits. Still, an alert is not the same as a hard block.
💡 Before departure, ask your provider to confirm in writing that a hard bill limit covers mobile data in every country on your itinerary. Do not rely only on the name of your tariff.
Roaming alert, spend cap and data block: what is the difference?
| Safeguard | What it does | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival alert | Explains that the phone has joined a foreign network and may show the relevant terms. | Read the whole message before using data. |
| Bill or spend limit | Restricts account spending once an agreed threshold is reached. | Confirm that roaming and the destination are covered. |
| Roaming data bar | Stops the home line from using mobile data abroad. | Check that calls and texts are handled as intended. |
| Phone setting | Disables data roaming on a selected SIM or eSIM. | Make sure the correct line is switched off. |
| Travel eSIM | Uses a prepaid data allowance on local partner networks. | Select it for mobile data and disable switching between lines. |
How to prevent a huge roaming bill before you travel
The safest approach uses more than one layer. A provider-side cap protects the account, while phone settings reduce the chance of accidental use. A prepaid travel eSIM can then provide mobile data without exposing the home line to standard roaming charges.
- Check the exact country: never assume “Europe”, “worldwide” or a regional plan includes your destination.
- Review every line: family and business accounts may apply different settings to each phone.
- Set a hard bill limit: ask whether it applies to roaming data and when it takes effect.
- Disable data roaming on the home SIM: do this before the aircraft lands.
- Turn off mobile-data switching: otherwise the phone may fall back to the home line.
- Pause automatic downloads: stop cloud photo backups, app updates and background refresh on mobile data.
- Use a prepaid travel eSIM: choose the travel line for data while keeping the home number available only if needed.
If you are unsure how much data video and social media may consume, estimate the allowance before choosing a plan.
How much data for your trip?
Estimate your data needs in seconds based on your habits: streaming, social media, browsing.
Calculate my data needsFor another real-world warning, compare this case with the £153,000 O2 roaming charges case and the reported $57,000 holiday roaming charge. The recurring lesson is that prevention must happen before heavy data use begins.
Using a travel eSIM without accidental home-line roaming
Installing an eSIM is only half the job. After activation, open the phone’s SIM settings and select the travel eSIM for mobile data. Then disable data roaming on the home line. On many phones, the travel eSIM may still need its own roaming toggle enabled because it connects through partner networks.
Do not remove your home SIM unless necessary. You may want to keep the number active for incoming messages or authentication. However, avoid answering calls or sending texts until you understand the relevant roaming charges.
Also switch off any option labelled “mobile data switching”, “allow cellular data switching” or similar. That feature can move data back to the home line when the travel connection weakens. Finally, test the setup with Wi-Fi turned off and verify which line shows the active data symbol.
Here are current eSIM providers worth comparing before an international trip:
What to do if you receive an unexpected roaming bill
Act quickly, but preserve evidence. First, disable data roaming and contact the provider using a channel that creates a written record. Ask for an itemised breakdown showing dates, networks, countries and data volumes.
- Save the contract, tariff summary and all roaming alerts.
- Screenshot the phone’s data-usage page and SIM settings.
- Ask whether a spend cap existed, was removed or did not apply.
- Request a formal complaint reference and a written final response.
- Challenge anything you do not recognise, but do not describe genuine usage as fraud.
Where a retailer arranged the contract, the dispute may involve both the retailer and the network. The £42,000 case reportedly became a disagreement about who was responsible for explaining the cap opt-out. Therefore, send the complaint to every relevant contracting party and keep the timelines aligned.
⚠️ Do not ignore the invoice while a complaint is open. Ask how the disputed amount will be treated and whether collection activity is paused.
FAQ
Was the £42,000 TikTok roaming bill real?
Yes. Multiple reports described two O2 bills totalling about £42,000 after TikTok use in Morocco. Currys and O2 later agreed to waive the charges, so the account holder did not ultimately pay the full amount.
Can TikTok really use enough data to cause a huge bill?
Yes, when video streams for hours on an expensive out-of-zone tariff without a hard cap. TikTok is not uniquely billed at a special rate; the danger comes from sustained video data combined with the contract’s roaming terms.
Does turning off data roaming stop TikTok charges abroad?
It should stop the selected SIM from using roaming mobile data. However, check each SIM separately and disable automatic mobile-data switching. TikTok can still use Wi-Fi or another active SIM.
Is Morocco included in UK or EU roaming?
Morocco is outside the EU and is not automatically included in UK domestic allowances. Coverage depends on the exact network, tariff and add-on, so confirm the destination before travelling.
Will a travel eSIM prevent roaming charges on my UK SIM?
It can, provided the travel eSIM is selected for mobile data and roaming data is disabled on the UK line. Keeping the UK SIM active for calls or texts can still create charges, depending on the contract.
Passionate about travel and tech, I have combined these two worlds to help travelers understand the numerous options to get Internet access abroad and identify the best option for them. As a software development engineer, I put my skills at the service of simple, practical and transparent content. My goal is to give you all the keys to stay connected easily and at the best price during your trips. 🌍📲