WASHINGTON – The Commerce Department said on Thursday that it would not enforce its order that would force it to effectively shut down the Chinese-owned Tiktok video-sharing app, citing a federal court ruling in Philadelphia.
The department’s action delays the implementation of a regulation that is scheduled to take effect on Thursday, which would prohibit US companies such as Apple Inc. from offering Tiktok as a mobile app, and Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc including Inc. prohibits companies from offering the web. Hosting service for TikTok-move which will effectively make it inactive.
In its ruling, the Department of Commerce cited an initial injunction against the closure by comedian Douglas Marland, fashion guru Coskett Reinab and musician Alex Chambers in a suit by US District Judge Wendy Beetlestone in Philadelphia last month .
The Commerce Department statement said the shutdown order would not take effect.
In the Philadelphia case, Judge Beetlestone stated that the government’s action is “a threat to the strong exchange of informational materials” and therefore more likely to exceed the government’s authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a law the Trump administration called Is trusted to take action against TikTok.
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