A judge in Rio de Janeiro state of Brazil ordered the indefinite suspension of the messaging app, WhatsApp until it revealed encrypted messages pertaining to a confidential case. Over 100 million Brazilian users were left without access to WhatsApp for hours on Tuesday.
Chief Executive and Co – founder, Jan Koum even took to Facebook to vent his frustration with the recurring legal issues in Brazil. 'It's shocking that less than two months after Brazilian people and lawmakers loudly rejected blocks of services like Whatsapp, history is repeating itself,' he posted. WhatsApp spokespersons have plainly maintained that they cannot share the information that they do not have access to.
Even Federal Supreme Court President, Ricardo Lewandowski found it “scarcely reasonable or proportional” for the judge to take such a decision. According to the attorney general’s office of Brazil, judges who are suspending WhatsApp especially over this issue are incorrectly interpreting the 2014 law pertaining to the legal framework for the internet.
