“Until today, Brazil has been an associate in making an open Internet”, Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg posted after the intrusion of WhatsApp’s administrations. The app that is used by over 90 million people in Brazil – and same percentage of internet users – was quickly unblocked.
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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 has been blocked for 48 hours in Brazil following a court order.
As indicated by Band News TV, the criminal case includes a medication trafficker connected to one of Sao Paulo’s most unsafe criminal posses, the PCC, or First Command of the Capital.
Judge Xavier de Souza said the service should be re-instated immediately, the BBC Reports. “We’re disappointed that a judge would punish more than 100 million people across Brazil since we were unable to turn over information we didn’t have”, a WhatsApp spokesperson said.
WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum tweeted a link to an article stating that nine out of 10 Brazilian doctors talk to their patients using WhatsApp, and added to his tweet, “sadly not right now”.
He says the company is working to get the block reversed.
‘Brazilians have always been among the most passionate in sharing their voice online, ‘ he said. SindiTelebrasil said it and its members are not party to the case.
WhatsApp had “failed to cooperate in a criminal investigation”, the judge ruled.
The company said it didn’t have the information that was being sought.
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“The company did not heed the judicial decision, the public prosecutors’ office requested the service be blocked”, the court’s statement read.
