Judge orders Whatsapp ban in Brazil
A judge in Brazil has ordered the suspension of the globally popular instant messaging system WhatsApp across the country because it has allegedly failed to help in an investigation.
Judge Luiz de Moura Correia ordered the suspension earlier this month, though the service has continued to operate normally. The newspaper Folha de S Paulo said that is because lawyers have appealed against the ruling.
The judge would not comment on details of his decision because it is an ongoing case, but a press officer at the Piaui state’s Public Safety Department said the case is linked to “sexually graphic photos of children on the app”.
WhatsApp did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
WhatsApp does not have an office in Brazil so the judge’s order was delivered to mobile phone operators.
SindiTelebrasil, the association which represents those companies, said on its website that the suspension could cause “huge losses to millions of Brazilians” who use WhatsApp for personal and professional reasons.
