Trump plan to ban Chinese app WeChat blocked by US judge on first amendment grounds | Science & Tech

Donald Trump’s plan to block downloads of the Chinese messaging and payment app WeChat has been blocked by a federal judge in California on first amendment grounds. The ruling put a temporary block on the president’s executive order which would have effectively banned the app on Sunday, despite Mr Trump and his administration describing it as a national security threat. Judge Laurel Beeler said the government’s actions would affect WeChat users’ first amendment rights – as a ban on the app removes their platform for communication. Image: Donald Trump had sought to ban WeChat through an executive order WeChat is…