Security News > 2020 > September > Judge Halts WeChat Download Ban in US-China Tech Battle
A US judge on Sunday blocked the government's ban on WeChat downloads, hours before it was due to take effect in an ongoing technology and espionage battle between Washington and Beijing.
The Trump administration had ordered a ban on downloads of the messaging platform WeChat as well as hugely popular video-sharing app TikTok, both owned by Chinese companies.
The US Department of Commerce on Saturday announced it was postponing the ban on TikTok downloads until September 27, due to "Recent positive developments."
Trump has often claimed, without providing evidence, that TikTok and WeChat are collecting user data for Beijing.
The Trump administration has used its own "Entity list" to shut Chinese telecom giant Huawei out of the US market, in addition to the recent moves against TikTok and WeChat.
News URL
Related news
- US proposes ban on connected vehicle tech from China, Russia (source)
- Is Lenovo a blind spot in US anti-China security measures? (source)
- US sues Georgia Tech over alleged cybersecurity failings as a Pentagon contractor (source)
- China’s quantum* crypto tech may be unhackable, but it's hardly a secret (source)
- US proposes ban on Chinese, Russian connected car tech over security fears (source)
- China's Salt Typhoon cyber spies are deep inside US ISPs (source)