Friday, December 18th 2015. WhatsApp, the popular Internet-based messaging service was blocked for 2 days in Brazil, heeding the ruling dictated by a Judge. As in many other countries, the users of this service reach well over 100 million, and even though they can see the icon in their smartphones, the platform will remain blocked making it impossible to send or receive messages through it.
WhatsApp spokesman, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s owner, considers these two days very sad for the Brazilian population who will not be able to communicate through this service, deeming this measure taken by the representative of the Brazilian judicial system unfair.
The Sao Paulo based tribunal took this measure without offering much explanation to the affected collective. The information was leaked as just rumors, but apparently the representatives of the messaging service had, for the second time, paid no mind to 2 previous warnings issued this year regarding the use of the platform. This information has not been officially confirmed by the authorities though.
Mark Zuckerberg however, did use social media to manifest his opinion on the ruling, and assured that it was all backlash due to the company’s ever pressing measures to keep user data and information secure through extreme security and access policies.
Moreover, it was made known that WhatsApp and other Internet based messaging services gave dealt a severe blow to phone companies’ economy, since the traditional text messaging service is dying out. WhatsApp users, not just in Brazil but all over the world, prefer to communicate via Internet and free Wi-Fi platforms.
Though phone companies’ syndicate disregarded this information and confirmed the ruling has nothing to do with them and it has an entirely different set of reasons.
These last 48 hours have been eternal for Brazilians; in addition to breaking news that the ruling might also affect WhatsApp use in Venezuela. Even though spokesman Mark Zuckerberg in his statement pointed out that dealings are being made with the Brazilian government with the goal of getting the ruling re-examined or maybe even lifted early; it has all been for naught as Brazilians remain waiting. Users are the only victims in the end and, beyond the recreational use of WhatsApp, there are many people who depend on it for work or important personal ends that will just have to look for other alternatives.
ALFA