Used iPhones with TikTok installed on them are being listed for sale on eBay for thousands of dollars, as people try to cash in on the ban. One listing even asks $50,000 for an unlocked iPhone 12 Pro Max “with TikTok app.”
Although Trump has issued an executive order claiming to shield companies from liability for breaking the law, Apple, Google and others continue to comply by keeping TikTok out of their US app stores …
A quick catch-up
On Friday, the US Supreme Court upheld the law imposing a ban on TikTok in the US. That meant the ban took effect on January 19. TikTok went offline in the US on Sunday, and was removed from App Stores. Apple issued a statement saying it was obliged to follow the law.
Later on Sunday, Trump made a social media post saying that he would suspend the ban as soon as he took office the next day, and that there would be no liability for ignoring the law in the meantime. Access to the app was restored by Bytedance, as US host Oracle apparently decided it could trust Trump’s promise on liability.
Trump subsequently issued the promised executive order stating that the law would not be enforced for 75 days, and claiming that companies who breached the law would not be liable. However, lawyers quickly pointed out that this order didn’t appear to comply with the law, leaving companies who broke it liable for fines totalling $850B. Other lawyers pointed to the additional risk that Trump could change his mind if he subsequently decided he didn’t like a particular company.
eBay listings for iPhones with TikTok installed
Wired spotted that some eBayers were quick to try to take advantage of the situation, by offering used Android phones and iPhones with TikTok installed at way over the market value of the devices.
A quick search for “TikTok phone” brings up more than 9,000 listings of used smartphones from the likes of Apple and Samsung, all with the TikTok app already installed […]
You can find phones with TikTok listed for as much as $50,000 under eBay’s Buy It Now selling format [and] here are many more listed in the $2,000 to $5,000 range.
Fortunately the site reports that sanity seems to be prevailing. The crazily-priced phones are failing to sell, and others show the sale completed thanks to the “best offer” feature in which buyers can simply offer the amount they are willing to pay, which may not be anywhere near the asking price.
Using one of these iPhones is possible due to a quirk in the way iCloud purchases work. If user A uses their Apple ID to download apps, and then user B signs in with their own Apple ID, existing apps would remain installed. However, if you ever restore from your own iCloud backup, then the old apps will be lost.
Accessing TikTok on the web might be the better bet …
Image: Screengrab from eBay
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
