Brazilian service providers want national courts to rule OTT services like WhatsApp illegal
Beginning at 8 p.m. Central Standard Time on Dec. 16, Facebooks’ over-the-top messaging service WhatsApp was shutdown in Brazil on the order of a judge. About 12 hours later, a higher court based in Sao Paulo overturned the block of WhatsApp, which was initially based on the allegation WhatsApp did not cooperate with a criminal investigation, according to reports.
WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum wrote on Facebook, “We are disappointed in the short-sighted decision to cut off access to WhatsApp, a communication tool that so many Brazilians have come to depend on, and sad to see Brazil isolate itself from the rest of the world.”
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of parent company Facebook, echoed those sentiments in a post to the social media site.
“This is a sad day for Brazil,” Zuckerberg wrote. “Until today, Brazil has been an ally in creating an open Internet. Brazilians have always been among the most passionate in sharing their voice online. I am stunned that our efforts to protect people’s data would result in such an extreme decision by a single judge to punish every person in Brazil who uses WhatsApp. We hope the Brazilian courts quickly reverse course. If you’re Brazilian, please make your voice heard and help your government reflect the will of its people.”
