A Sao Paulo Judge suspended the services of WhatsApp after the company failed to follow two judicial rulings regarding sharing information about a criminal case. After a few hours, a higher court resumed its services.
"Considering the constitutional principles, it does not look reasonable that millions of users be affected as a result of the company's inertia to provide information," Judge Xavier de Souza ruled, according to GMA News Online. He instead imposed higher fines for the company to settle.
WhatsApp was banned in Brazil after a judge ruled that all telecommunications in the country to disable the application for 48 hours. An average of 100 million WhatsApp users were not able to make calls or send messages starting from midnight on Thursday, local time.
Information about the case being investigated was sealed off by the court, but O Estado de São Paulo, a Brazilian newspaper, said that the case was about the investigation of a criminal gang, according to The New York Times. The police wanted to acquire information from WhatsApp since the gang leaders were said to have used WhatsApp to communicate.
Owned by Facebook, WhatsApp is used by over 100 million users in Brazil as the medium of communication that includes industries such as newspapers, advertising, and even politicians, Forbes reported.
Tonight, a Brazilian judge blocked WhatsApp for more than 100 million people who rely on it in her country.We are...
Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday, December 17, 2015
"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," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on his Facebook Page.
"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."
