Phones with the TikTok app installed are being listed eBay for thousands of dollars above their normal market value, with one for $14,000 bought this week.
TikTok’s app is yet to reappear on Apple’s App Store, or Google Play since it briefly went dark on Saturday, meaning American users are struggling to download it.
Newsweek has reached out to eBay and TikTok outside of regular working hours via email for comment.
Why It Matters
TikTok is estimated to have some 170 million users in the U.S. The Pew Research Center estimates that a third of U.S. adults use the app. Fourteen hours after going dark for millions of Americans, TikTok retuned to the U.S. after President-elect Donald Trump promised to pause the ban which is looming for the platform.
What To Know
Searches for “sold only” eBay items showed one phone advertised on eBay as “iPhone 15 With Tik Tok And Cap cut App Installed,” listed for $13,997, sold on Tuesday.
It was unclear if the seller received the full asking price. eBay’s sold items include those sold via the “buyer offer” tool, even if the offer accepted was less than the displayed price.
Images show eBay listings for iPhones with the TikTok app installed on January 22. Images show eBay listings for iPhones with the TikTok app installed on January 22. eBay
In resale listings currently on eBay, iPhones with TikTok installed are being sold at prices starting at $1,236 ranging all the way to $10,000.
eBay users outside the United States are also trying to cash in. One listing in the U.K. priced an iPhone 16 with the TikTok app at $47,033.
The iPhone 15 and 16 models generally sell for between $1,200 and $1,500 on eBay.
When the app was first banned iPhones with TikTok installed were listed for as much as $1 million during the app’s 14 hour blackout, Ukrainian technology news outlet ITC reported.
Images show eBay listings for iPhones with the TikTok app installed on January 22. Images show eBay listings for iPhones with the TikTok app installed on January 22. eBay
Left: In this photo illustration, the TikTok logo is displayed on an iPhone screen on December 06, 2024 in San Anselmo, California. Right: eBay listing for iPhone with TikTok installed on January 22. Left: In this photo illustration, the TikTok logo is displayed on an iPhone screen on December 06, 2024 in San Anselmo, California. Right: eBay listing for iPhone with TikTok installed on January 22. Getty/eBay
Why Has the U.S. Government Threatened TikTok With a Ban?
The federal government has concerns that TikTok might threaten the U.S. national security. This is due to fears that the Chinese government could use the app to spy on American citizens and/or influence the U.S. public.
The law, which came into effect on January 19, was originally passed in April 2024 and required TikTok’s China-based parent company ByteDance to sell the U.S. version of the platform to a neutral party by Sunday, or face an outright ban in the country.
What People Are Saying
A statement from TikTok on Sunday read: “In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive.
President Donald Trump when asked by reporters about the TikTok ban said: “I may not or may do the deal. TikTok is worthless, worthless, if I don’t approve it. I learned that from the people that own it.”
What’s Next?
Lawmakers and experts are being cautious about the future of TikTok, saying that the law that would ban it is still valid. Users, however, celebrated on Sunday when the app returned. But the revival may be temporary.
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Correction 1/22/24, 10:45 a.m. ET: This article previously referred to eBay listings’ asking price as the sale price. The headline has been changed to reflect this.
