Following a TikTok ban in the US, phones and iPads with the TikTok app preinstalled are up for sale, and it seems some people are buying. Experts say it's a security disaster waiting to happen.

It may not seem like it, but TikTok is indeed banned in the United States. A law that bars the app went into effect on 19 January, causing it to brielfy go dark in the US before President Donald Trump issued an executive order granting TikTok a 75-day extension.

But Trump's order doesn't actually overturn the ban. Instead, it tells the US attorney general not to enforce the law for now. And that has meant that some key organisations are still being cautious – including the app stores that allow users to download it in the first place. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act makes it illegal for app stores and internet hosting services to enable the distribution, maintenance or updates of TikTok.

And so far, Apple and Google are complying. In other words, you can still use TikTok if you already have it downloaded on your device. If not, you're out of luck.

But this has led to some people seeing an opportunity. Across the US, people on online marketplaces such as eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Esty and elsewhere are listing used phones with the TikTok app preinstalled – often for astronomical prices. In some cases they are asking for sums more in line with what you'd pay for a new car. You can pick one up for yourself, if you've got the money. The only question is how much of your digital security you're willing to risk.

Some see an opportunity to cash in. One eBay seller, who spoke to the BBC on the condition of anonymity, has a Samsung Galaxy Note9 up for grabs. It's an older model that would normally expect to sell for around $250 (about £200). But with the TikTok app installed, the seller is asking for $50,000 (£40,145). The price is negotiable though. "The lowest I'll go is $15,000," the seller says. So far, they haven't seen any bids.

On TikTok, a number of American users have posted videos encouraging others to try and sell old devices with the app installed, promising big pay days. A Facebook Marketplace seller in New York says the videos inspired him. "I don't know whether the app is really getting banned, but I'm going to try to get something from it," the seller says. His admittedly ancient iPhone is also marked at $50,000. "I did it to see if I get lucky," he says.

Do a simple search on an online marketplace and it is possible to find countless other iPhones, iPads and Android devices with TikTok on them for sale at similar prices. It seems unlikely anyone is going........

© BBC