WASHINGTON (NewsNation Now) — A day after it put a hold on a proposed ban of TikTok, the Biden administration is distancing itself from attempts by former President Donald Trump’s administration to ban the Chinese messaging app WeChat.

The Commerce Department is reviewing recent actions, such as the rules undermining TikTok and WeChat, to ensure that efforts by the Trump administration to ban them based on claimed national-security threats were justified, according to a Thursday government filing in a suit by WeChat users challenging the ban.

The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday asked two federal appeals courts to put on hold government appeals of lower court rulings blocking restrictions imposed on TikTok. Three federal judges in separate rulings blocked Commerce orders on TikTok and for Chinese-owned WeChat, saying it would affect the First Amendment rights of users.

Late Wednesday, the Third Circuit agreed to cancel oral arguments that had been set for Thursday and directed the government to file a status report in 60 days.

WeChat is a messaging app with other features like social media and payments that is dominant in China, where many American social media and messaging apps are banned. It is also popular with many Chinese speakers in the U.S., with millions of users, since it allows them to connect with friends, family and business contacts in China. It’s owned by Chinese tech giant Tencent.

Within China, WeChat is censored and expected to adhere to content restrictions set by authorities. The Citizen Lab internet watchdog group, based in Toronto has said WeChat monitors files and images shared abroad to aid its censorship in China.

The Trump administration targeted WeChat and TikTok because of their Chinese ownership, saying that U.S. user data could potentially be shared with the Chinese government and was a security risk. TikTok has denied it does or would do this. Tencent has said it incorporates the highest standards of user privacy and data security.

Earlier, the White House said it has an ongoing review of risks TikTok may present to U.S. data but stressed it has taken no new “proactive step” related to a pending plan for U.S. investors to acquire the Chinese-owned company’s American operations.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said “it is not accurate to suggest that there is a new proactive step by the Biden White House” related to TikTok.

She said the administration was still conducting a comprehensive review of the “risks to U.S. data … including from TikTok, and will address them in a decisive and effective fashion.”

The attempted bans highlighted the growing tensions with China during the Trump administration, which included a trade war, blocking mergers involving Chinese companies and stifling the business of Huawei, a maker of phones and telecom equipment.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this article: Reporting by Tali Arbel/AP; David Shepardson and Steve Holland/Reuters.