WeChat ban: US appeal court rejects government request to immediately remove app from Apple, Google stores
- The US Justice Department requested that the appeal court allow the government to immediately ban Apple and Google from offering WeChat for download in the US
- The three-judge panel for the court says the government had not demonstrated it would ‘suffer an imminent, irreparable injury’ pending the appeal
The three-judge panel for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said in a brief order the government had not demonstrated it would “suffer an imminent, irreparable injury during the pendency of this appeal, which is being expedited”.
The WeChat users said the ruling will avoid an “unprecedented shutdown of a major platform for communications relied on by millions of people in the United States”.
The Commerce Department order, which had been set to take effect September 20, would also bar other US transactions with WeChat, potentially making the app unusable in the United States.
US judge denies new government bid to remove WeChat from US app stores
The appeal court said the case will be placed on its January 2021 calendar.
Tencent and the Commerce Department did not immediately comment.
WeChat has an average of 19 million daily active users in the United States. It is popular among Chinese students, Americans living in China and some Americans who have personal or business relationships in China.
WeChat is an all-in-one mobile app that combines services similar to Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Venmo. The app is an essential part of daily life for many in China and boasts more than 1 billion users.
In a similar case, a US appeal court agreed to fast-track a government appeal of a ruling blocking the government from banning new TikTok downloads.