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| © (Photo by Marie Waldmann/Photothek via Getty Images) |
Facebook, which bought WhatsApp last year, claims the messaging service has more than 100 million users in the country, where the apps usage has become so embedded in the way of life that it’s used by newspapers, advertisers and politicians to communicate with local people.
Some 62% of Brazilian Internet users aged between 16 and 64 use WhatsApp each month, according to GlobalWebIndex, a market research firm that specialises in app and social media use. WhatsApp has more than 900 million active users globally, making it the world’s most popular messaging service.
Mark Zuckerberg took to his Facebook page a few hours ago to criticize the move. “This is a sad day for Brazil,” he said, adding, “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.”
Facebook was “working hard” to get the blockade reversed, Zuckerberg said. WhatsApp founder and CEO Jan Koum called the block “short sighted” in his own statement, adding it was “sad to see Brazil isolate itself from the rest of the world.” WhatsApp could not be reached for comment.
The timing of the shutdown is disruptive for WhatsApp, since it expects an annual surge of usage in the run-up to Christmas as families and friends send messages to coordinate get-togethers in the holidays or send well-wishes.
The shutdown is the result of a criminal court case that took place in Sao Paulo which, according to local reports, involved a dug trafficker linked to one of the country’s most dangerous criminal gangs. The court sent WhatsApp an judicial order on July 23, and again on August 7, according to Reuters, before issuing it with a fine for non-compliance.
WhatsApp began encrypting messages sent between its users in November last year, making it impossible for third parties including hackers and governments to read them.
While the move was praised by privacy advocates, it raised concerns among various government keen gather intelligence on terrorist threats by tracking their communications on popular messaging services. This past summer British Prime Ministers David Cameron even proposed a complete ban on services like WhatsApp that use strong encryption.
Several popular messaging services, including Apple’s iMessage, Snapchat and Japan’s LINE encrypt messages on their network to safeguard user privacy, but WhatsApp’s ubiquity in countries like Brazil, the Middle East and India makes it more likely to be targeted with court orders.
In Brazil, WhatsApp not only faces opposition from the government and courts who want to be able to tap its network for evidence to convict accused criminals, but from local telecommunications firms who have lost millions in potential SMS revenues to its free messaging service.
Telco companies there have lobbied the government in the past to limit the use of the free calling services that WhatsApp offered. Though the cause appears unrelated, today they temporarily got their wish.
Zuckerberg’s statement in full:
“Tonight, a Brazilian judge blocked WhatsApp for more than 100 million people who rely on it in her country.
“We are working hard to get this block reversed. Until then, Facebook Messenger is still active and you can use it to communicate instead.
“This is a sad day for Brazil. 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.”
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