TikTok users in the United States breathed a sigh of relief on Friday as a federal judge has raised a directive against the US government's ban on TikTok, stopping it from being prohibited for use in the country on November 12th.
According to the US administration, TikTok is a national security concern due to its Chinese parent company and the alleged potential of Beijing handling the application to harvest data.
US Ban Postponed Due to Lawsuit by Creators
On the shutdown of the famous short-form video app, the federal judge sided with a Pennsylvania comedian and two other TikTok creators who indicated that the order to prohibit the app hampers their free speech.
United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone countered an upcoming Commerce Department move that would have prohibited TikTok in the US by disconnecting it from vital technical services.
A temporary injunction was imposed against President Donald Trump's TikTok's prohibition. The judge posed the verdict in favor of the plaintiffs who make a living from the video app.
According to the lawsuit, The TikTokers, as they are called, have over 1 million followers on the app and contravened they would lose access to "professional opportunities afforded by TikTok," reported IOL.
The ruling means that the app would remain online and accessible in the US past November 12 so long as the judgment is not revoked.
According to the United States Commerce Department on Sunday, it would "vigorously defend" an executive order that would bar transactions with the famous app. The department stated it would "comply with the injunction, but intends to vigorously defend the (executive order) and the Secretary's implementation efforts from legal challenges," reported CGTN.
In response to the creators' lawsuit, TikTok's Interim Global Head Vanessa Pappas stated, "We are deeply moved by the outpouring of support from our creators, who have worked to protect their rights to expression, their careers, and to help small businesses, particularly during the pandemic. We stand behind our community as they share their voices. And we are committed to continuing to provide a home for them to do so," reported Ubergizmo.
The judge also noted the TikTok creators' concerns over their career and income opportunities. The judge stated the ban would shut down within the US a platform for an avenue of expression used by approximately 700 million individuals across the globe.
Beetlestone ruled the US government did not have adequate evidence to prohibit the viral video-sharing app. She denounced the alleged national security threat posed by the TikTok app is hypothetical.
The administration has alleged the app is a security threat, citing its Chinese owner, ByteDance, and the potentiality that the China government may spy on users. The executive order slated to be implemented is currently on hold as the lawsuit is underway.
One of the most popular in the United States, TikTok allows users and content creators to develop short-form videos to share.
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