Following the enforcement of a TikTok ban in the United States, iPhones with TikTok pre-installed are now being listed for as much as $50,000 on online auction sites like eBay.
The ban, which came into effect on January 19, aims to protect the country from perceived threats posed by adversarial nations. Under the order issued by former President Trump, there is currently a 75-day grace period during which TikTok can still be used on devices where it has already been installed. However, new downloads and access to TikTok's services are no longer possible within the U.S.
More than 9,000 listings of "TikTok-installed smartphones" have appeared on eBay, showcasing a wide variety of models and prices.
Examples of these listings include a Samsung Galaxy A54 5G for $250, an iPhone 11 Pro Max for $450, and an iPhone 14 for $7,500. But the standout item is an iPhone 15 Pro Max listed for an eye-watering $50,000.
While most of these high-priced phones remain unsold, there are reports of some success stories. For instance, One example is an iPhone 16 Pro Max with TikTok installed, which was sold for $12,999.
Interestingly, eBay’s policies require phones to be restored to factory settings before being listed. It's unclear if these rules are being followed for these TikTok-loaded devices.
Viewer Comments:
I don’t think it’s worth that much.
If we buy devices and install TikTok while abroad, we could probably make a huge profit!
I might dig through my storage for old gadgets.
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