Federal judge Laurel Beeler blocked earlier today the Trump administration’s US WeChat ban. The preliminary injunction leaves the Tencent-owned messaging app for now in Google and Apple app stores.
Today’s decision is the outcome of a lawsuit filed in August by WeChat users who argued the ban by Trump was not constitutional. Known as the US WeChat Alliance Group, this non-profit group not associated with the company, wanted a restraining order on the executive order. According to the group, the executive order did not provide evidence to show that WeChat is a threat for national security.
While TikTok is all about entertainment, WeChat offers many users features such as social networking, money transfer, online shopping, mini-apps, bill payments, among other things.
Beeler’s decision comes two days after the administration announced that downloads of TikTok and WeChat were going to be prohibited starting today and one day after President Trump approved “in concept” the deal for TikTok with Oracle and Walmart.
“WeChat is effectively the only means of communication for many in the community, not only because China bans other apps, but also because Chinese speakers with limited English proficiency have no options other than WeChat,” judge Beeler wrote. WeChat is “a virtual public square for the Chinese-speaking and Chinese-American community,” she added.
[Source]: NPR: Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s U.S. WeChat Ban.
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