- US President proposes ban on WeChat app and claims it to be a threat to national security.
- President Trump claims that WeChat collects crucial data of millions of active users.
- Judge Laurel Beeler states that President Trump misuses the right to speech.
- The ban on WeChat is compared to banning singular media sources.
US Magistrate Judge Laurel states that Trump has been misusing the Constitution’s first amendment – the freedom of speech. US President Donald Trump stated on 20 September 2020 morning that the Chinese mobile app WeChat should be banned as it posed as a threat to national security.
The US Department of Commerce had issued a notice about disallowing the WeChat app in the American App Stores starting Sunday, 20 September 2020. Trumps made a statement where he mentioned that the WeChat app could potentially collect all the data from billions of American active users, and provide the same to the Chinese government.
The Chinese government and WeChat have clearly denied these claims are made by Trump. Tencent, the corporation to which WeChat belongs to – has shown their disappointment regarding the WeChat ban.
Why was the ban proposal initiated?
In a statement by the United States Department of Commerce Secretary, the said decision to block WeChat was taken in order to “combat China’s malicious collection of American citizens’ personal data”. The Department of Commerce also mentioned that WeChat gathered large amounts of data incoming from US citizens. These data consisted of location, network data usage, browsing data, and search history.
The Commerce Department had mentioned that the Chinese Communist government had made plans to use this app to compromise with US national security, foreign policies, and the economy.
Why was the WeChat ban halted?
Judge Laurel Beeler, the judge from the United States District Court for the Northern District of California had put a stop to the WeChat ban because it seemed to harm the First Amendment rights of the US citizens. The ban on the app would also mean that the Chinese population within the United States would possibly lose their major mode of contact with those back home since WhatsApp, Facebook, and other apps are banned within China.
It is also to be noted that the ban on WeChat causes a disregard for various constitutional necessities such as the right to free speech, equal protection against subjective bias, and the right to due process.
Judge Laurel Beeler also suggested that in place of carrying out the ban, the US Government will control the news, information, and other content on the app. Along with these limitations, the data in the WeChat app will be closely tracked in order to assure the safety and security of the data of American citizens.
Many suggest that this ban is a violation of the basic rights of Americans, which influences the US citizens and the Chinese population. The ban of WeChat has been compared to the complete ban of sources of communication. It resembles the ban of a Television channel, any newspaper, or any website used by millions of US citizens.
