WhatsApp is temporarily banned in Brazil
Brazil has been constantly battling against Facebook’s encrypted messaging app WhatsApp and has been blocked, again. A Brazilian judge ordered ISPs and telephone companies to cut support for the messaging giant. The judge’s argument was that the end to end encryption meant that Facebook will not be able to access user’s messages and therefore cannot provide court with requested data.
However this ban was lifted some time later by Brazil’s Supreme Court which questioned whether the ban of WhatsApp was reasonable. This marks the fourth time that a judge ordered the ban of WhatsApp after access to data was denied.
Here is the official responses of a WhatsApp spokesperson: “In recent months, people from all across Brazil have rejected judicial blocks of services like WhatsApp, indiscriminate steps like these threaten people’s ability to communicate, to run their businesses, and to live their lives. As we’ve said in the past, we cannot share information we don’t have access to.”
Previous WhatsApp bans have been ordered to last as long as 72 hours, but access has been typically restored more quickly. During the ban, telephone companies and ISPs were ordered to block WhatsApp indefinitely, but the higher court’s decision undid the ban within a matter of hours.
While WhatsApp was banned, other encrypted messaging apps remain available in Brazil. However, WhatsApp is hugely popular in Brazil, with over 100 million users, so cutting access to the app has a severe impact on the nation’s communications. Users have been able to circumvent previous bans by using a VPN service, and other techniques.
So what do you guys think about this ban? Is it justified? Or is it exaggerated? Leave a comment and connect with us on any of our social media pages.
Via: | BBC News |
