The White House is questioning a court ruling banning the messaging app, saying China social media leader Tencent Holdings Ltd may not be able to gain new customers in the WeChat United States.
U.S. to block WeChat downloads for national security reasons Tencent said in a statement on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Sunday evening that it was anticipating the possibility of a ban as the Commerce Department issued the orders on Friday.
If Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google removes WeChat from their stores, this will adversely affect regular updates of the app for current US users.
The application WeChat has a very small user base in the United States compared to ubiquitous China.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Bealer said Sunday that the challenge to the proposed injunction “raises serious questions about the merits of the First Amendment claim, thereby” balancing the critical tips in favor of the plaintiffs. “
Condemning the security threat, Tencent said it was “deeply concerned” and would continue talks with the U.S. government and other stakeholders to address it.
