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WeChat still available in U.S.
Published on: 2020-09-21
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WECHAT 01A federal judge has approved a request from a group of WeChat users to delay looming US government restrictions that could effectively make the popular app nearly impossible to use.
 

In a ruling dated on Saturday, Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler in California said the government’s actions would affect users’ First Amendment rights as an effective ban on the app removes their platform for communication.
 

WeChat is a messaging-focused app popular with many Chinese-speaking Americans that serves as a lifeline to friends, family, customers and business contacts in China. It’s owned by Chinese tech giant Tencent.

WECHAT 02A group of WeChat users had made the request after the US commerce department said on Friday it would bar WeChat from US app stores and keep it from accessing essential Internet services in the country from midnight Sunday.
 

The government cited national security and data-privacy concerns in taking action against WeChat and imposing similar restrictions on TikTok, another popular Chinese-owned app. The restrictions on TikTok were pushed back by a week on Saturday after President Donald Trump said he supported a proposed deal among its Chinese parent company ByteDance, Oracle and Walmart.

WECHAT 03WeChat users had argued the moves targeting the all-in-one app with instant-messaging, social media and other communication tools would restrict free speech. In the ruling, the court said that a WeChat ban “eliminates all meaningful access to communication in the plaintiffs’ community,” and that an injunction would be in public interest.
 

The US government had earlier argued that it is not restricting free speech because WeChat users still “are free to speak on alternative platforms.”
 

Specific evidence about WeChat posing a national security threat was also “modest,” according to Judge Beeler.
 

美法院紧急叫停微信禁令,美国用户可继续正常下载和使用微信

美国加州法院的一道临时禁止令在最后一刻暂时挽救了可能在美国被“全面封杀”的微信。
 

美加州法院颁布临时禁止令。根据判决,法官认为8月6日的特朗普总统令及9月18日发布的商务部实施细则均实际造成了在美国境内全面禁封微信的效果,存在违反宪法第一修正案、平权条款、程序正义条款的嫌疑,而美国司法部能够提供的微信对国家安全构成的所谓威胁的证据又明显不足,加之细则从颁布到生效只有两天时间,将给美国微信用户造成了迫在眉睫和无可挽回的伤害。法官裁定:虽然某些法理和事实上的细节问题尚未审清,但在法院最终判定总统令和实施细则是否违宪之前,该总统令和实施细则均不得实施。
 

换言之,法官的临时禁止令使得全美微信用户暂时免受总统令和商务部原定于9月20日起将实施的微信禁令的伤害。目前所有美国微信用户都可继续正常使用微信,应用商店可以继续发布微信这个app以及更新,其它电信运营商也可以继续提供对于微信app的服务。
 

不过这并非是最终结果。判决颁布之后,美国政府可迅速上诉到美国联邦第九巡回法院,就禁止令的问题重新审核。考虑到案件的重大意义,上诉的可能性非常大。如果上诉法院同意加速审理,上诉阶段可以在1-2个月之内完成。而输的一方则可以选择继续上诉至最高法院。
 

微信的母公司腾讯则在20日发布最新声明称,20日之后美国用户可能可继续使用微信,将继续与美国政府磋商,并再次强调微信海外版WeChat遵守当地法律法规,其数据政策与程序符合全球最严格的隐私标准。
 

如果微信在美国被“全面封杀”,将对在美国华人,以及与中国展开商贸、文化等交流的美国人造成巨大影响。

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