Reason – failure to provide data at the request of law enforcement agencies
Telegram, one of the most popular messaging apps, was blocked by a court order in Brazil today. The decision was made after representatives of the company “failed to take the necessary steps to cooperate with law enforcement during the investigation into the case of violence against minors.”
In the first half of May, an investigation was underway in Brazil in which Telegram representatives did not cooperate with the cybercrime agency in investigating a case of violence against children. In particular, law enforcement agencies demanded that Telegram give them the data of members and administrators of neo-Nazi groups allegedly involved in attacks on educational institutions. As a result, the court ruled to block the application in the country.
Brazilian court decides to block Telegram
Explaining their decision, Telegram explains that they are not able to provide access to users’ personal correspondence, since messages are stored on users’ devices, and not on servers. However, law enforcement agencies insist on the need to gain access to information in order to investigate crimes.
According to representatives of Telegram, the company will appeal the court decision and hopes for the support of its users. In the meantime, many users in Brazil have already begun to switch to other messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Viber. In addition to blocking, the court also fined Telegram 1 million reais (about $200,000) per day for failing to provide data to law enforcement.
