Trump administration appeals court order blocking TikTok restrictions

The U.S. government on Monday appealed a federal judge’s order that prevented authorities from imposing restrictions on TikTok. 

In a Dec. 7 preliminary injunction, U.S District Court Judge Carl Nichols issued an order that blocks the Commerce Department from imposing restrictions on TikTok. The Justice Department said that it is appealing Carl Nichols’ order to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. 

With that ruling, Nichols became the second U.S. judge blocking the TikTok download ban imposed by the Trump administration. In October, US District Judge Wendy Beetlestone issued an injunction against the TikTok ban in response to a motion filed by three popular TikTok creators with millions of followers, Douglas Marland, Cosette Rinab, and Alec Chambers. The court documents had argued that “Plaintiffs will lose access to all of their followers, as well as to the professional opportunities afforded by TikTok, without access to the app.”

In a separate ruling in September, Carl Nichols had issued an order blocking the Commerce Department from requiring Apple and Google to remove the TikTok from their app stores.

Officials told Reuters “it is increasingly unlikely the government will resolve the fate of TikTok in the United States before Trump leaves office on Jan. 20. There is still an outside chance a deal could be struck in January.”