(업뎃) 틱톡, 美 앱스토어 삭제 일주일 연기…'위챗 사용금지' 법원에 의해 긴급 제동

Two popular China-based apps --TikTok and WeChat-- have managed to avoid being banned by the U.S. government,... at least for now.
Kim Jae-hee reports.
The U.S. Department of Commerce had previously announced on Friday,... that it would ban TikTok and WeChat from U.S. app stores from late Sunday --citing national security and data privacy concerns.
The ban order followed U.S. President Donald Trump's executive orders signed back in August.
But both the apps have now been given a reprieve from the ban --at least for the time being.
Tiktok was granted a delay on the ban, as President Trump tentatively approved a potential deal, in which Oracle and Walmart would take control of Tiktok's U.S. operations.
Trump blessed the deal, saying Oracle would ensure security to protect U.S. user data, and TikTok would create some 25-thousand jobs.
The U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced on Saturday the one-week delay on TikTok's ban, citing "recent positive developments".
Separately, a federal judge in Northern California has temporarily blocked the download ban for WeChat, citing freedom of speech.
Judge Laurel Beeler of San Francisco District Court issued a preliminary injunction, saying the ban on WeChat raised serious questions related to the constitution's first amendment, guaranteeing free speech.
The judge said WeChat is the only means of communication for many Chinese speakers with limited English proficiency, due to a lack of substitute channels.
She also said there's little evidence of WeChat posing a national security threat, and added there are alternatives to a complete ban.
The Commerce Department has yet to officially comment, but is reportedly preparing for a long legal battle.
Kim Jae-hee, Arirang News.