Zuckerberg stands with Brazil as court blocks messaging app Whatsapp

A Brazilian court ordered mobile phone providers to block all access to the internet-based messaging service on Wednesday for a total of 48 hours, starting at midnight on Thursday, according to Brazilian phone company association Sinditelebrasil.

The court in Sao Paulo made the order because it said WhatsApp had repeatedly failed to co-operate in a criminal investigation. “This is a sad day for Brazil”, Zuckerberg said on Facebook, in English and Portuguese.

“This is a sad day for Brazil”. Brazil’s Congress is attempting to pass bills that would make the posting of certain social media content illegal, and allow the government to spy on the country’s internet users.

WhatsApp chief executive Jan Koum had described the decision as “short-sighted”, claiming that cutting off access to WhatsApp would isolate Brazil from the rest of the world. Meanwhile, The Associated Press reports competing apps including Viber and Telegram have spiked in popularity since the WhatsApp blockage. “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”, a WhatsApp spokesperson said.

WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook for $19 billion a year ago. “Brazilians have always been among the most passionate in sharing their voice online”, Zuckerberg said in a statement, urging a reversal. Most of the details regarding the case has been kept in hiding by the judge, which is allowed by a Brazilian court.

Brazil is one of the largest markets outside the US for Google, Facebook and Twitter.

But the suspension was lifted after an order from a Brazilian judge on Thursday, says Reuters.

The block is a punishment for WhatsApp’s refusal to communicate with the court. They believe that services offered by then such as free calls (VoIP) often underestimates the services offered by them. Brazil’s phone companies argue that this classifies WhatsApp as telecommunications company and, as such, it should be governed by Brazilian law.