A Brazilian court ordered mobile phone providers to block all access to the internet-based messaging service on Wednesday for a total of 48 hours, starting at midnight on Thursday, according to Brazilian phone company association Sinditelebrasil.
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“Until today, Brazil has been an ally in creating an open Internet”, Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg posted after the interruption of WhatsApp’s services.
Brazilians had complained in regards to the suspension of WhatsApp, which can be a massively popular program used by many to talk to buddies, family as well as co-workers both inside of Brazil and overseas on social media.
The messaging service, estimated to have 100million users in Brazil, was blocked for 48 hours after the plaintiff in a criminal case sought the injunction.
“We’re disappointed that a judge would punish more than 100 million people across Brazil because we were unable to turn over information we didn’t have”, a WhatsApp spokesperson said.
Whatsapp has been at the centre of angry battles in Brazil, where its popularity, and that of other similar apps, has resulted in revenue from SMS messages plummeting. Many quickly migrated to WhatsApp’s competitors. “Your voices have been heard and the block has been lifted”, he posted on Facebook. The latter can be refuted by the fact that blocking a single service would not stop people from using online messaging.
The airline, a unit of LATAM Airlines Group SA, said it is cooperating with authorities. “Today I fell ill and I am working from home”.
The shutdown was ordered by a Sao Paulo Judge Sandra Regina Nostre Marques, because it said the Facebook-owned application had allegedly withheld messages relating to a suspect in a drug trafficking investigation.
WhatsApp said it was not able, not unwilling, to go along.
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“Because even then the company did not heed the judicial decision, the public prosecutors” office requested the service be blocked, ‘ the court’s statement read.
