A judge in California on Sunday blocked the order of the Government of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, to prohibit downloads from the Chinese messaging network WeChat (the Chinese WhatsApp) in the US application market.
The ban was to take effect this Sunday.
In a ruling dated Saturday, California Magistrate Laurel Beeler alleged that the government's actions would affect the rights of First Amendment users
, as an effective ban on the app removes its communication platform.
This court decision comes after the US Department of Commerce announced on Saturday that it was delaying the application of similar measures against TikTok for a week, which were initially to go into effect this Sunday, after Trump give its "blessing" to a preliminary agreement so that it can operate in the country, in association with the US companies Oracle and Walmart.
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WeChat is a popular messaging app among many Mandarin-speaking Americans
and serves as a lifeline for friends, family, customers, and business contacts in China.
It is owned by Chinese tech giant Tencent.
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A group of WeChat users made the request after the United States Department of Commerce announced on Friday that it would ban WeChat from US app stores and prevent access to essential internet services in the country, starting Sunday at 9:00 p.m. 11:59 pm.
"The plaintiffs' evidence reflects that 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 choice but WeChat." wrote Beeler.
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"And, as the plaintiffs point out," adds the magistrate, "there are obvious alternatives to a total ban, such as banning WeChat on government devices, as Australia has done, or taking other steps to address data security."
The government cited concerns about national security and data privacy by cracking down on WeChat and imposing similar restrictions on TikTok, another popular Chinese-owned app.
The restrictions on TikTok were delayed for a week on Saturday after President Donald Trump said he supported a deal with Oracle that would make TikTok an American company.
In a ruling dated Saturday, September 19, 2020, Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler in California said the government's actions would affect users' First Amendment rights.AP Photo / Mark Schiefelbein
WeChat users argued that actions against the app will restrict freedom of expression.
In the ruling, the court alleges that banning WeChat "removes all meaningful access to communication in the plaintiff community"
and that a court order would be in the public interest.
The US government argued that it was not restricting freedom of expression because WeChat users are still "free to speak on alternative platforms that do not pose a threat to national security."
The specific evidence regarding the threat to national security that WeChat posed was also "modest," according to Judge Beeler.
The dispute over TikTok and WeChat is the latest tipping point between the world's two largest economies
as the Trump administration tries to counter Beijing's influence.
Since taking office in 2017, Trump has waged a trade war with China, blocked mergers involving Chinese companies and stifled the business of Chinese companies such as Huawei, a maker of telecommunications equipment and telephones.
With information from EFE, AP and CNN.
