The US Department of Justice said in the Wednesday filing that the Commerce Department does not intend to penalize users of the WeChat app once the the ban is imposed on September 20. This came after non-profit U.S WeChat Users Alliance and several people who depend on the app for work, worship and staying in touch with their relatives in China filed a suit in a California federal court to stop the ban. The government filing also stipulated that although using and downloading the app to communicate is still permitted, messaging might be directly or indirectly affected by the ban.
Read: Chinese Technology Stocks Drop as Trump Bans WeChat and TikTok in the U.S.
CNBC: The nonprofit U.S. WeChat Users Alliance and several people who say they rely on the app for work, worship and staying in touch with relatives in China sued to stop the ban in federal court in California
Last August 6, US President Trump has issued orders banning Chinese apps WeChat and TikTok allegedly due to threats on national security and has imposed a 45-day deadline for the Commerce Department to a draft measures that will bar transactions with the Chinese owners of the app.
However, CNBC reports that a looming U.S. ban on WeChat won’t target people who use the app to communicate, according to a government court filing Wednesday.
The nonprofit U.S. WeChat Users Alliance and several people who say they rely on the app for work, worship and staying in touch with relatives in China sued to stop the ban in federal court in California. The suit says the ban violates its U.S. users’ freedom of speech, free exercise of religion and other constitutional rights.
