Entrepreneurs are capitalizing on the temporary unavailability of TikTok in the US by selling phones with the app pre-installed for thousands of dollars. The social media app was briefly shut down in the US on January 19, when ByteDance, its China-based parent company, voluntarily halted the service to avoid a national security-related ban. TikTok was inaccessible for its 170 million US users until President Trump paused the ban on January 20, with the suspension set to last until early April.
While existing users have regained access to the app, TikTok remains unavailable for new downloads from US app stores. This has created a lucrative market for devices with TikTok pre-installed. Numerous listings for TikTok-loaded phones and tablets have appeared on online marketplaces.
One notable listing on eBay offers a brand-new Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max with TikTok pre-installed for $50,000 or “Best Offer.” The listing has attracted nearly 80 interested shoppers. Other devices are available for much lower prices, with some sellers advertising phones that have active TikTok accounts, while others offer the app installed but not linked to an account.
The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which would ban TikTok, does not target individual users but prohibits app stores like Google and Apple, as well as web-hosting services, from distributing or servicing the app. eBay has not yet responded to CBS MoneyWatch’s request for comment on the listings.
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