This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/18/world/americas/brazil-whatsapp-facebook.html
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| Brazil Restores WhatsApp Service After Brief Blockade Over Wiretap Request | Brazil Restores WhatsApp Service After Brief Blockade Over Wiretap Request |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| WhatsApp, a popular instant messaging service owned by Facebook, was briefly shut down in Brazil on Thursday after the American firm refused to place wiretaps on certain WhatsApp accounts. | |
| A São Paulo judge ordered telecommunications carriers to block WhatsApp for 48 hours, beginning Thursday, after the company did not comply with police eavesdropping requests, which came as part of a criminal drug case. Facebook said it was technically impossible to wiretap the accounts. | A São Paulo judge ordered telecommunications carriers to block WhatsApp for 48 hours, beginning Thursday, after the company did not comply with police eavesdropping requests, which came as part of a criminal drug case. Facebook said it was technically impossible to wiretap the accounts. |
| Shortly after the ban went into effect, an appeals court overturned it, restoring access for the 100 million Brazilians who regularly send messages with the service. | |
| The appeals court said it was “not reasonable” to suspend a service used by so many people simply because the company had failed to provide information to the courts. | The appeals court said it was “not reasonable” to suspend a service used by so many people simply because the company had failed to provide information to the courts. |
| Foreign governments have been increasingly willing to block American Internet services as part of legal disputes. Turkey has cut off Twitter and YouTube, which is owned by Google, for failing to take down content that it found objectionable. | Foreign governments have been increasingly willing to block American Internet services as part of legal disputes. Turkey has cut off Twitter and YouTube, which is owned by Google, for failing to take down content that it found objectionable. |
| Last month, Bangladesh temporarily banned Facebook, WhatsApp and Viber, another messaging and phone service, citing a need to preserve order after a Supreme Court ruling upholding the death penalty for two men convicted of war crimes during Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence against Pakistan. | Last month, Bangladesh temporarily banned Facebook, WhatsApp and Viber, another messaging and phone service, citing a need to preserve order after a Supreme Court ruling upholding the death penalty for two men convicted of war crimes during Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence against Pakistan. |
| There are also global concerns about the balance between privacy and the needs of governments to protect their citizens. | There are also global concerns about the balance between privacy and the needs of governments to protect their citizens. |
| Western governments, including the United States and Britain, have pressed technology companies to modify their services to permit the authorities to monitor communications upon demand. | Western governments, including the United States and Britain, have pressed technology companies to modify their services to permit the authorities to monitor communications upon demand. |
| The debate intensified after the Paris terrorist attacks in November. Intelligence officials said that the plotters may have used encryption technology to conceal their communications. | The debate intensified after the Paris terrorist attacks in November. Intelligence officials said that the plotters may have used encryption technology to conceal their communications. |
| In the Brazilian drug case, Facebook said it was unable to put the wiretaps in place because of the technological structure of WhatsApp. The service, like many of its competitors, encrypts messages along the entire pathway between the sender and recipient. That prevents anyone, including WhatsApp, from eavesdropping, he said. | In the Brazilian drug case, Facebook said it was unable to put the wiretaps in place because of the technological structure of WhatsApp. The service, like many of its competitors, encrypts messages along the entire pathway between the sender and recipient. That prevents anyone, including WhatsApp, from eavesdropping, he said. |
| “We’re disappointed that a judge would punish more than 100 million people across Brazil since we were unable to turn over information we didn’t have,” said Matt Steinfeld, a Facebook spokesman. | “We’re disappointed that a judge would punish more than 100 million people across Brazil since we were unable to turn over information we didn’t have,” said Matt Steinfeld, a Facebook spokesman. |
| WhatsApp, which is used by about half of Brazil’s 200 million residents, allows smartphone users with a data connection to send text messages and make voice calls for free. That makes it an attractive alternative to Brazil’s pricey cellphone services. | WhatsApp, which is used by about half of Brazil’s 200 million residents, allows smartphone users with a data connection to send text messages and make voice calls for free. That makes it an attractive alternative to Brazil’s pricey cellphone services. |
| Brazilian telecom executives, worried about the hit to their business, have stepped up criticism of WhatsApp and similar services in recent months. | Brazilian telecom executives, worried about the hit to their business, have stepped up criticism of WhatsApp and similar services in recent months. |
| Amos Genish, the president of Vivo, owned by Telefonica, recently called WhatsApp a “pirate” and said the government should regulate such services, according to the Brazilian newspaper Valor Economico. | Amos Genish, the president of Vivo, owned by Telefonica, recently called WhatsApp a “pirate” and said the government should regulate such services, according to the Brazilian newspaper Valor Economico. |
| This year, Brazilian judges twice ordered the suspension of WhatsApp service, but telecom operators complained that the suspensions were impossible to carry out and appeals courts blocked the orders. | This year, Brazilian judges twice ordered the suspension of WhatsApp service, but telecom operators complained that the suspensions were impossible to carry out and appeals courts blocked the orders. |
| This time, only one company, Oi, filed an appeal. The others, including Telefonica, complied. | This time, only one company, Oi, filed an appeal. The others, including Telefonica, complied. |
| “The change in position is significant,” said Ronaldo Lemos, head of the Institute of Technology and Society in Rio de Janeiro who was an author of Brazil’s Internet civil rights law. “They seem to be washing their hands” of WhatsApp. | “The change in position is significant,” said Ronaldo Lemos, head of the Institute of Technology and Society in Rio de Janeiro who was an author of Brazil’s Internet civil rights law. “They seem to be washing their hands” of WhatsApp. |
| Many of the details surrounding the case were sealed by the court. But according to one Brazilian newspaper, O Estado de São Paulo, the Brazilian military police were investigating drug trafficking involving a major criminal gang. | Many of the details surrounding the case were sealed by the court. But according to one Brazilian newspaper, O Estado de São Paulo, the Brazilian military police were investigating drug trafficking involving a major criminal gang. |
| The gang’s leaders were thought to be using instant messaging apps like WhatsApp much more than cellular messaging services, so the police went to the judge requesting that the data of three WhatsApp users, one Brazilian and two Paraguayans, be intercepted, the newspaper reported. | The gang’s leaders were thought to be using instant messaging apps like WhatsApp much more than cellular messaging services, so the police went to the judge requesting that the data of three WhatsApp users, one Brazilian and two Paraguayans, be intercepted, the newspaper reported. |
| The judge had ordered Facebook to provide the data. When it did not, she decided to shut down the entire service nationwide. | The judge had ordered Facebook to provide the data. When it did not, she decided to shut down the entire service nationwide. |
| Facebook’s co-founder and chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, said it was a “sad day” for Brazil. | Facebook’s co-founder and chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, said it was a “sad day” for Brazil. |
| “Until today, Brazil has been an ally in creating an open Internet,” he wrote in a Facebook post in English and Portuguese. “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.” | “Until today, Brazil has been an ally in creating an open Internet,” he wrote in a Facebook post in English and Portuguese. “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.” |
| Mr. Zuckerberg urged Brazilians to press their government to overturn the ban. | Mr. Zuckerberg urged Brazilians to press their government to overturn the ban. |
| When the service was restored, he wrote, “Your voices have been heard and the block has been lifted.” | When the service was restored, he wrote, “Your voices have been heard and the block has been lifted.” |