The messenger Telegram gained over 1.5 million new users in Brazil a few hours after locking WhatsApp. This is the official Twitter account of the company. Lock WhatsApp happened by decision of the local court.
The court of the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo decided to suspend the operation of WhatsApp for 48 hours due to the failure of U.S. companies to fulfill the previously rendered decision of the court on one criminal case, in which the administration service is required to disclose to the authorities the correspondence of suspects in the crime.
It is also known that local mobile operators in recent months lobbied the idea that WhatsApp is illegal and cannot be adjusted, but also publicly accused the messenger that many locals refused the mobile. The head of WhatsApp Jan koum said that he had regret that Brazil had decided to isolate from the rest of the world.
WhatsApp has disabled at midnight on December 17, local time (about 5 a.m. Moscow time). After the appearance of messages about the upcoming lock WhatsApp in Brazil, the people have begun to register in the Telegram. About 10 PM local time the representatives of the messenger reported 500 000 new users. Two hours later their number rose to 1.5 million.
Due to the active growth of connections the largest SMS providers ceased to deliver SMS to Brazil (this way Telegram sends codes to activate the profile).
WhatsApp is the most used messenger in Brazil — the audience is about 93 million people or 93% of the online population of Brazil. The popularity of the service is associated with a large number of low-income people and the most expensive in the world tariff plans.
Brazilian authorities are trying to establish a new order that will oblige the inhabitants to enter an identification code, the address and telephone number to access the Network. Tight control will enable the authorities to censor social networks and other services, and certainly know what kind of person wrote the objectionable message, assured the publication.
The law is still under development, but already actively discussing how local residents and officials during interviews and TV shows. Resource suggested that disabling WhatsApp is a kind of probing the soil in front of more global intervention in the Internet space.
