SAO PAULO, Brazil – A court in Brazil on Wednesday, December 16 (Thursday, December 17 Manila time) ordered cellular service providers nationwide to block the popular WhatsApp smartphone application for two days.
The unprecedented 48-hour blockage was to implement a Sao Paulo state court order and was to take effect at 0200 GMT Thursday (10:00 am Manila time), although it was not immediately clear if service providers would acquiesce to the order.
The court said WhatsApp had been asked several times to cooperate in a criminal investigation, but had repeatedly failed to comply.
A judge in Piaui state tried but failed earlier this year to block the app.
Authorities say they cannot disclose details of the criminal investigation because it is an ongoing case.
Whatsapp founder and CEO Jan Koum reacted to the block of the messaging service in a post.
He wrote, “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.”
We are disappointed in the short-sighted decision to cut off access to WhatsApp, a communication tool that so many…
Posted by Jan Koum on Wednesday, December 16, 2015
– with reports from Victor Barreiro Jr/Rappler.com
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