Some fast-acting entrepreneurs sell tiktok phone Social media app now preloaded on devices for thousands of dollars after being temporarily unavailable in the US
ByteDance was announced in the U.S. on January 19, hours before a deadline requiring its China-based parent company to sell the app to a U.S.-based entity or ban it over national security concerns. TikTok has been voluntarily shut down. TikTok went dark for its 170 million US-based users until President Trump on January 20 suspended the ban until early April.
The service has since been restored for existing users, but the app is still not available for download from US-based app stores.
As a result, phones and other devices with Tiktok pre-installed suddenly become a hot commodity. Since then, dozens of listings for phones and tablets with very popular apps have appeared on online marketplaces.
Among them is an eBay listing for a device called the latest Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max preloaded on Tiktok for $50,000, or “best offer.” According to the eBay site, nearly 80 shoppers have looked at the listing.
There are also Tiktok-Loaded devices that sell for just a few hundred dollars. Some sellers advertise their phones with active Tiktok accounts, while others say they have the app installed but not linked to their account.
eBay did not immediately respond to CBS Moneywatch’s request for comment on the listing.
The law banning apps that protect Americans from foreign hostile application laws does not target individuals; make it illegal Distribute or service Tiktok for Google or Apple app stores and web hosting services.
