Federal Court Blocks and Commerce Withdraws Controversial WeChat Ban
A federal court halts the implementation of the U.S. Commerce Department's WeChat ban on First Amendment grounds, prompting the agency to withdraw its unpublished rules.
The U.S. Department of Commerce issues unpublished rules to identify prohibited transactions under the August 2020 Executive Order targeting WeChat. These regulations effectively ban the popular messaging app within the United States and are originally scheduled to take effect on Sunday, September 20, 2020.
Before the ban goes into effect, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California grants a nationwide injunction against the WeChat Order. The judge blocks the implementation based on First Amendment grounds, halting the Commerce Department's planned enforcement actions just one day before they start.
In response to the court's ruling, the Commerce Department withdraws the WeChat Rules on Monday, September 21, 2020. This withdrawal pauses the immediate threat to the app while the broader legal battle over the executive order continues to unfold.