wechat not banned

Joining us on your sunday.

### a popular app among chinese americans is safe...for now.

A judge in california blocked the u-s government's attempt to ban wechat..an app commonly used to talk to family and friends in china... the trump adminisitration had ordeded a ban on downloads of the app starting that would have started today.

Abc 36's bobbi mcswine spoke to a chinese professor at the university of kentucky who says banning the app would be devastating for international students.

That's tonight's top story at 6:30.

###### "my heart goes out to our international chinese students and to their familes."

Professor huajing maske...director of the university of kentucky's office of china initiative...says wechat is more than just a social app for students.

Maske: "not only is it the communication with home, far away, but within the united states, these international students they use wechat as a support community platform."

Maske...a wechat user herself...says the app helps students find housing...food...soc ial events...video chat...make payments...and more...all for free.

Phone rings maggie favier is a recent u-k grad...who studied abroad three times.

She says it keeps her in contact with her friends...especially because platforms such as twitter and facebook are banned in china.

Favier: "january, when the pandemic broke out over in china, i contacted them through wechat because that's my only mode of communication with them because there's no other social media that we can share together."

The trump administration moved to banned wechat and tiktok because of fears that china was stealing u.s. citizen's data.

A california judge blocked the move sunday...saying there isn't enough evidence to back the claim...and it raises questions regarding free speech.

Phone rings maske says she's going to prepare for the possibility wechat will be banned in the future...even if it can only help those around her.

"i'm trying to work, as i said, find reliable sources four at least our students."

In lexington...bobbi mcswine...abc 36 news #### to the