TikTok Ban: An executive order issued by the Commerce Department of the United States compelled Apple and Google to restrict the availability of WeChat and TikTok from their app stores, but now US District Judge Carl Nichols has blocked the decision.

The government “must file a response to a request by TikTok for a preliminary injunction or delay the order by 2:30 pm EDT Friday,” the judge said. The situation in California is much the same, with a federal judge issuing a preliminary injunction obstructing the ban of WeChat, a multi-purpose platform owned by Tencent, a Chinese conglomerate.

TikTok claims the restrictions aren’t “motivated by a genuine national security concern,” but are rather being used as a negotiating asset in the upcoming presidential election. Despite positive developments, last Saturday saw an unconventional delay.

Walmart and Oracle are reportedly teaming up to purchase a minor stake in TikTok Global, a new subsidiary by ByteDance that is expected to make TikTok a platform for influencers and brands to promote products while doing their dance.