The US Commerce Department said Monday it will appeal an order issued by a US judge on Sunday, provided Apple and Google do not have to remove Chinese instant messaging apps (WeChat) from the US app store.
U.S. District Court Judge (Laurel Piller) in San Francisco issued an injunction blocking implementation of the circuit's decision. This may also block further US transactions with Tencent WeChat, rendering the app unusable in the United States. .
The US Commerce Department said, "The ban on certain transactions is necessary to protect the national security of the United States, and the US Department of Commerce expects to seek an exemption from this matter soon."
Bueller said: WeChat users who filed the complaint "have raised serious questions about the rationale for the First Amendment claim."
On Friday, the US Commerce Department issued a National Security Order blocking it from the US App Store before 11:59 PM ET on Sunday.
The Department of Justice asked Piller not to impede this measure. "This is frustrating and will replace the president's determination to best address national security threats," he said.
Analytics company Apptopia announced in early August that WeChat has an average of 19 million daily active users in the United States. This is common among Chinese and American students who live in China and some Americans who have personal or professional relationships with China.
"Of course, the government's general national security interests have priority," Piller wrote. Effective WeChat blocking of users in the US could fix these issues.
WeChat is a comprehensive mobile application that combines instant messaging, social messaging and payment functions, among other services. The so-called super apps are of crucial importance to daily life in China with its billion users.