Judge postpones Trump's TikTok ban in suit brought by users

A federal judge has postponed President Donald Trump's threatened shutdown of popular short-form video app TikTok, siding with a Pennsylvania comedian and two or TikTok creators who say Trump's order hampers ir free speech.

U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone on Friday blocked an upcoming Commerce Department action that would have effectively banned TikTok in U.S. by cutting it off from vital technical services.

Trump ministration has said TikTok is a security threat, citing its Chinese owner, ByteDance, and possibility that Chinese government could spy on users. Trump's executive order was set to take effect v. 12, but is w on hold as lawsuit proceeds.

This is t first court challenge to Trump's attempted crackdown on TikTok. Ar federal judge in September postponed a Trump ministration order that would have banned TikTok from smartphone app stores. In that case, lawyers for TikTok argued that ministration’s app-store ban would infringe on First Amendment rights and do irreparable harm to business.

But Beetlestone's case in Eastern District of Pennsylvania was brought forth t by company, but three of its users who've built a following on app: Douglas Marland, a comedian from Pennsylvania's Bucks County, along with Sourn California fashion designer Cosette Rinab and Connecticut musician Alec Chambers.

“We are pleased that judge has halted this ban, which exceeds President’s authority under International Emergency Ecomic Powers Act, namely portions of Act that reflect our nation’s deep commitment to free speech,” said ir lawyer, Ambika Kumar Doran, in a prepared statement.

Commerce Department and White House didn’t immediately return requests for comment. ministration has said it is exercising Trump's emergency authority under 1977 law enabling a president to regulate international commerce to dress unusual threats.

TikTok said in a statement Friday that it is “deeply moved by outpouring of support from our creators, who have worked to protect ir rights to expression, ir careers, and to helping small businesses, particularly during pandemic.”