Second U.S. judge blocks Commerce restrictions on TikTok

FILE PHOTO: A 3D printed Tik Tok logo is seen in front of U.S. flag in this illustration taken October 6, 2020. Picture taken October 6, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A second U.S. judge late on Monday granted a preliminary injunction blocking the U.S. Commerce Department from imposing restrictions on Chinese-owned short video sharing app TikTok that would have effectively barred its use in the United States.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington issued an order in a suit filed by TikTok-owner ByteDance more than a month after U.S. judge Wendy Beetlestone in Pennsylvania blocked the same restrictions that were set to take effect on Nov. 12 in a suit brought by some TikTok users.