WeChat users in US sue Donald Trump for banning app

US President Donald Trump (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

United States-based users of WeChat are suing President Donald Trump to block an executive order they say would bar access to the popular mobile application.

WeChat is a Chinese messaging app. The move comes after Trump issued an executive order banning Chinese video sharing app TikTok, subject to owner ByteDance either selling or spinning its US business within 90 days.

The complaint was filed on August 21 in San Francisco by non-profit called US WeChat Users Alliance, who called for a federal judge to halt Trump’s executive order over violation of “freedom of speech, freedom of exercise of religion and other constitutional rights”, Fox Business reported.

The petition states they use the messaging app for “work, worship and staying in touch with relatives in China”. The alliance is not associated with WeChat or its parent Tencent Holdings.

The petition further states that users have looked for alternatives “without success” and are “afraid they may violate laws and face sanctions for merely communicating with their families.”

Trump had on August 6 issued a two executive orders which pronounced “sweeping but vague bans on transactions” with the Chinese owners of WeChat and TikTok citing security concerns, economy and foreign policy, the report said. These orders are expected to come into effect on September 20 (45 days from date of issue of the order).

While immediate impact of application of the ban is unclear, experts told the news site the orders “appear intended to bar WeChat and TikTok from app stores run by Google and Apple, making use in the US more difficult.”

As per mobile research firm Sensor Tower, there were an estimated 19 million US downloads of WeChat. It is however predominantly used by the Chinese American community in the US and Chinese students to stay in touch with families back home or for business purposes.