
Brazil Freezes Facebook Funds - rogerthis
http://www.wsj.com/articles/brazil-freezes-facebook-fundsin-latest-clash-over-whatsapp-messages-1469716803
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envy2
Given that my understanding is WhatsApp/Facebook are quite literally _unable
to comply because the content doesn 't exist_ (yay, E2E encryption!), this is
also an absurd, disproportionate response.

But, unlike the usual response of blocking WhatsApp for hundreds of millions
of entirely innocent people, this at least keeps this silly little war between
the lawyers, where it belongs. If nothing else, a step in the right direction.

~~~
utopcell
this war will move to the users if Facebook decides to pull out of the country
altogether. This is a very interesting case to follow: If Brazil 'wins', this
might be the first case where a government says "I don't like E2E encryption
on your app, get off my country", and a company complies. On the other hand,
imagine if Facebook proper, pulls out of Brazil and that causes their
government to fall. :-)

~~~
meira
> On the other hand, imagine if Facebook proper, pulls out of Brazil and that
> causes their government to fall. :-)

Facebook already deposed one government here in Brazil. ;)

That's why current gov probably will go full power against it anytime soon, if
it isn't already started. I don't like Michel Temer (coupist president), but I
dislike FB a lot more, so the better would be for them to destroy themselves
and leave Brazil to Brazilians :)

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rsrsrs86
> Facebook already deposed one government here in Brazil. ;)

That is a gross overstatement. Brazilian here.

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mc32
It also wasn't a coup. The former is/was impeached for shenanigans involving
the state petro co./graft and misstating economic numbers and many other
irregularities.

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elros
Firstly, out with Temer!

It was most definitely a coup. The people prosecuting her couldn't care less
about the alleged violations, that's just a nifty way they managed to get into
power.

The people in charge now manage to be even dirtier.

~~~
meira
I guess you guys proves that FB/whatsapp/Google/YouTube brainwashed most of
Brazillians. After the coup, peace is reigning in Brazil (thanks to the media
that stopped with the terror and the American tech companies, mainly FB,
stopped their terror echo Chamber).

~~~
tommorris
Just social media and not Globo TV etc.?

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meira
That TV Globo and other media families wanted Dilma and PT ousted of power was
nothing new. Social media support, beginning with the "jornada de junho de
2013" was what really triggered the parlamentary coup.

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sbierwagen
Substantially identical article: [http://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-
facebook-whatsapp-i...](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-facebook-
whatsapp-idUSKCN10801Q)

~~~
ajarmst
Notably: non-paywalled.

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nstj
Suddenly everyone's newsfeed has started featuring stories about the polluted
Rio Olympics.

~~~
jbpetersen
As someone not on Facebook, I'm finding it very challenging to tell whether
that's sarcasm.

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boznz
Will google loon or the facebook drone thing get over these problems?

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meira
Google loon and Facebook Drone are essentially the problem. Or they start to
conform with local policies or they will find a bad ending anytime.

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taejo
BTW, in English one says "Either ... or ...", not "Or ... or ..."

~~~
meira
Really? I could care less. (Is it right?)

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rsrsrs86
I think there is a point that most coverage and discussions miss. Maybe judges
understand that Whatsapp can not fulfill their requests, but they choose to
block the service to put pressure on the company to better address a very
important question, which is how society should treat the question of privacy
and, specifically, how can law enforcement and companies cooperate on cases
and investigation that rely on this kind of data.

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meira
If you look by another angle, Facebook is holding 10, 100, maybe 1000 million
Brazilian dollars in taxes at some bank in Ireland :)

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coliveira
The interim government of Brazil wants to control media far beyond what they
already do. This is just the next step, since their main ally (Globo Media
Network) is directly threatened by the advance of Facebook and Google in the
country.

~~~
rsrsrs86
That is just paranoia.

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kiba
Didn't the supreme court or higher ups keep reversing ruling banning the
service?

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cft
$11m frozen? Move on.

~~~
Kinnard
Until the bully comes back for more . . .

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smhost
What exactly happens when a service like WhatsApp gets shut down like that? Is
there a giant firewall or something?

~~~
kenshaw
Most likely the ISPs drop/block the BGP routes, or just null route traffic for
those blocks.

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dingo_bat
Here in India they just return NXDOMAIN for the name. So it is pretty easy to
bypass using 8.8.8.8. Also, the guy who installed the router at my home
changed the default DNS to 8.8.8.8. I think ISPs do this on purpose. They
don't wanna block sites their customers wanna access. And the government is
dumb enough to not understand the difference between a DNS block vs a real
block.

~~~
tommorris
Dumb is often good enough for big companies and governments. (See: DRM.)

If you are the sort of person who is able to change your DNS, you are also
capable enough to use foreign VPNs etc.

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meira
Next step: stop their tax dodges and unfair competition :)

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Apocryphon
Given that Eduardo Saverin is from Brazil, and if there was any truth to the
"The Social Network"/The Accidental Billionaires narrative at all, it's oddly
appropriate that Facebook is getting its money withheld by Brazilians once
again.

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free2rhyme214
Because he lives there? $11mm is .06% of Facebook's 2015 revenue. I doubt they
care at all nor is there anything they can do about this.

~~~
meira
He doesn't live here, he lives in Asia. He's barely brazilian, actually.

