Trending Today: Brazil Briefly Blocks WhatsApp
A court in Brazil Thursday suspended the messaging service WhatsApp for 48 hours.
WhatsApp reportedly failed to agree to the court’s order to give investigators information connected to a criminal case.
More than 100 million people in Brazil use WhatsApp. Brazilians protested the suspension on social media Thursday. The Brazilian Portuguese hashtag(#Nessas48HorasEuVou) that translates to “In These 48 Hours I Will..."trended worldwide on Twitter. Twitter users joked about what they would do with their time during the next 48 hours instead of using WhatsApp.
Love the #Brazil trending #Nessas48HorasEuVou talking about what people will do instead of messaging on banned @WhatsApp.
— Lulu Garcia-Navarro (@lourdesgnavarro) December 17, 2015
Scrap that. #Nessas48HorasEuVou is now the 2nd biggest worldwide Twitter trend.
— Ben Tavener (@BenTavener) December 17, 2015
Facebook owns WhatsApp. On Thursday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted about the ban in Brazil. He wrote, “We are working hard to get this block reversed. Until then, Facebook Messenger is still active and you can use it to communicate instead. This is a sad day for Brazil. Until today, Brazil has been an ally in creating an open Internet.”
Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook post on Thursday morning
The 48-hour ban did not last. Later on Thursday, a judge in Brazil ordered thecourt to lift the suspension of WhatsApp. Brazilians celebrated on socialmedia. And Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg did, too.
He wrote, “WhatsApp is now back online in Brazil! Your voices have beenheard and the block has been lifted. Thank you to our community for helpingresolve this! #ConnectBrazil.”
VOCABULARY:
1. ally - n. a person or group that gives help to another person or group
2. reverse - v. to cause something to stop or return to an earlier state
3. resolve - v. : to find an answer or solution to something
DISCUSSION:
1. How much do you think do social networks affect social dynamics?
2. Is the ban imposed on WhatsApp justifiable?
3. Reflectback to the time when social networking was not a major part of people's life? Which is better? Why?
