WhatsApp is back online in Brazil after a judge lifted a lower court ruling that temporarily blocked the phone-messaging application.
There was outrage in Brazil after the WhatsApp text messaging service was interrupted – the country boasts more than 100 million users.
Telegram, a rival messaging system, said that it received 1 million downloads in Brazil in one day because of the WhatsApp outage.
State judge Xavier de Souza overruled the lower court decision to temporarily ban the service and said in a statement that “in light of constitutional principles, it doesn’t seem reasonable that millions of users are affected because of the inaction of the corporation” in handing over information.
The mobile messaging app has over 900 million monthly active users.
According to Zuckerberg, the case was related to protecting customers’ data.
Zuckerberg wrote in his Facebook post: “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 added. “Brazilians have always been among the most passionate in sharing their voice online.”
The case is believed to involve a drug trafficker associated with one of Sao Paolo’s most dangerous gangs, according to a report by Band News TV. The criminal is believed to have used WhatsApp while committing crimes.
