It is a sigh of relief for Chinese video-sharing app TikTok after obtaining an injunction against a pending U.S government ban. A federal judge has temporarily put on hold any plans by the government to ban the viral video sharing app pending the determination of the case. In court filings, TikTok maintains the ban is irrational given the ongoing sale talks.
TikTok Ban
The ban if implemented would have resulted in TikTok app being withdrawn from all app stores that people can access in the U.S. Likewise it would have been impossible for the more than 100 million Americans who already use it to get updates in future. Similarly, those who don’t have the app would not be able to download it. For now, the app should operate as normal until the court ruling.
However, U.S District Judge, Carl Nichol has not issued an injunction against the November deadline that calls for the sale of the app to a U.S entity. ByteDance, the parent company behind the video-sharing app, is engaged in talks with Oracle and Walmart over a potential partnership that will make it possible for TikTok to continue operating in the U.S.
U.S-China Standoff
Even as the sale negotiations continue, the Chinese company has lodged a lawsuit as it tries to fight the looming ban. The U.S president signed an executive order against TikTok citing national security concerns over ByteDance close ties to the Chinese government. U.S authorities have always insisted that close ties to the Chinese government pose a significant risk to U.S TikTok user’s data
WeChat is another popular Chinese networking app that has caught the attention of U.S authorities. U.S Authorities have also raised concerns over WeChat given that its parent company Tencent has close ties with the Chinese government
Bans against WeChat and TikTok come at a pivotal time ahead of the hotly contested November Presidential elections. There have been concerns in Washington that China could meddle in the election given Trump’s harsh stance against Beijing.
