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Brazilian Supreme Court lifts WhatsApp service block

Xinhua, July 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

President of the Brazilian Supreme Court Ricardo Lewandowski ordered on Tuesday the removal of the blocking of messaging service WhatsApp.

The service was suspended earlier in the day after judge Daniela Barbosa, in Rio de Janeiro, found that Facebook, the app's owner, did not respond to police demands for information about certain users.

The blocking of the app had violated the right to freedom of expression and to access to communication,said Lewandowski. He added that Barbosa's ruling had been "disproportionate" and contributed to "judicial insecurity" in the country.

The Supreme Court made the decision after the Socialist Popular Party had asked for the block to be immediately lifted.

Ultimately, WhatsApp was blocked for four hours from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Brasilia time, leaving millions of users unable to use it.

This is the fourth time a Brazilian court has blocked the messaging app, after Facebook was notified three times to intercept or turn over messages that could be used in police investigations.

Facebook has consistently responded that WhatsApp messages are encrypted and not stored, meaning Facebook cannot comply with such requests.

Justice Minister Alexandre Moraes said Tuesday that the government is developing a new law to help regulate access to information from messenger apps, in order to allow the police to access necessary data. Endi