A group of WeChat users is suing the Trump administration in an attempt to block enforcement of an executive order that would effectively ban the popular Chinese messaging app in the United States.
In a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco, the nonprofit group WeChat Users Alliance and some of the app’s users claimed that the executive action violated many of their constitutional rights, while also destroy an “irreplaceable cultural bridge” for those who use the app to connect with family and friends in China.
The complaint asked the court to declare the executive order unconstitutional and to block the administration from proceeding with its implementation. The plaintiff stated that WeChat and its Chinese parent company, Tencent Holdings, were not affiliated with the legal commitment.
“In short, the threatened expulsion of these WeChat users from their public space is irreparable damage requiring judicial intervention,” the lawsuit said.
President Trump
Donald John TrumpTwo ‘The Apprentice’ Producers Help at Republican National Convention Some 70,000 lives could be saved in the near future if people wear masks: Trump researchers issue disaster declaration for California as wildfire rages MAY In early August, they signed a number of executive orders targeting WeChat and TikTok, the short video app owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, claiming they were a threat to national security and foreign policy. The order declared a ban on all U.S. transactions with the companies starting Sept. 20, which is likely to affect the placement of the apps in the Google and Apple app stores.
Under the order, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross
Wilbur Louis RossHillicon Valley: Trump administration Continues Against Huawei Chip Production, Branch Groups | California decision against Uber, Lyft threatens to boost economic performance Trump administration crawls further against Huawei chip production, affiliated groups Bipartisan senators ask congressional leadership to extend censorship deadline will identify the transactions that are burned off once it goes into effect. The lawsuit, however, claims that the vagueness of the initial order “leaves individuals and businesses at a loss” if they risk civil or criminal fines “if they do not change the basis of the way they communicate or conduct their business.
They asked the court to stay the date of implementation of all penal provisions of the order “until a reasonable time after” more information is provided on what U.S. transactions are prohibited.
Friday’s lawsuit came just a day before TikTok, with more than 100 million users in the US, announced its plans to proceed with a complaint against the administration.
“To ensure that the rule of law is not disregarded and that our business and users are treated fairly, we have no choice but to challenge the Executive Order through the legal system,” a TikTok spokesman told The Hill , noting that Trump’s decision lacks “due process” and “no attention paid to facts.”
A TikTok employee is also a legal challenge on behalf of U.S.-based workers. Patrick Ryan, a technical manager at TikTok, said 1,500 U.S. employees are at risk of not receiving pay once a transaction ban goes into effect.
Trump called for national security and expressed concern about the collection of user data from Chinese-linked companies when issuing the orders earlier this month.
In addition to its constitutional claims, WeChat users claimed that the White House had not provided any evidence to support its position.
WeChat has approximately 19 million daily active users in the United States, including approximately 1 billion monthly active users worldwide, according to the lawsuit. The app is often used by students and expats to communicate with people back in China, where apps including Facebook and WhatsApp are blocked.
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