TikTok gets another reprieve from US ban

A federal judge in Pennsylvania blocked the government from moving ahead with restrictions that would have effectively shut down the app from November 12. The ruling came from a lawsuit filed by three TikTok creators who were concerned that the ban would prevent them from earning a living.

San Francisco:The Chinese short-video making app TikTok has got another reprieve from the ban imposed by the Donald Trump administration in the US.

A federal judge in Pennsylvania blocked the government from moving ahead with restrictions that would have effectively shut down the app from November 12, reports The Verge.

The ruling came from a lawsuit filed by three TikTok creators who were concerned that the ban would prevent them from earning a living.

"The short videos created and exchanged on TikTok are expressive and informative, and are analogous to the ‘films,' ‘artworks,' ‘photographs,' and ‘news wire feeds' expressly protected under" the International Emergency Economic Powers Act," the judge wrote in the order.

"We are deeply moved by the outpouring of support from our community, who have worked to protect their rights to expression, to their careers, and to support small businesses, particularly during the pandemic," a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement.

"We support our creative community in continuing to share their voices, both through the platform and the legal options available to them, and we are committed to continuing to provide a home for them to do so."

Meanwhile, the US Department of Justice earlier this month appealed against a recent federal court ruling that barred the Trump administration's attempt to block TikTok downloads.

Judge Carl Nichols of the US District Court for the District of Columbia late last month halted the ban after TikTok's attorneys argued that the US administration's ban infringes on rights to free speech and due process.

The government began the appeals process against the ruling with a notice of appeal earlier this month.

The administration urged the US Court of Appeals in Washington to review the September 27 ruling that halted the ban.

(With inputs from IANS)