On Wednesday, a Brazilian court ordered Telegram to be blocked in the country, as the messenger's owners refused to provide personal data of users who shared materials prohibited by local laws.
Source. This was reported by 9to5Mac
The founder of the app, Pavel Durov, sent a mass mailing to users, in which he stated that the data requested by the Brazilian authorities was "technologically impossible to obtain." Durov also noted that the authorities have already banned the messenger in russia, China, and Iran, but he prefers not to betray users and violate the principles on which the messenger is based. Durov's statement reads as follows:
"Telegram's mission is to preserve privacy and freedom of speech around the world. In cases where local laws contradict this mission or impose technologically unfeasible requirements, we sometimes have to leave such markets. In the past, countries such as China, Iran, and russia have banned Telegram because of our principled stance on human rights. Such events, while sad, are still better than betraying our users and the beliefs on which we were founded.
In Brazil, a court has requested data that we are technologically unable to obtain. We will appeal this and await the final decision. No matter what it takes, we will protect our users in Brazil and their right to confidential communication," the newsletter said.
At the moment, most users in Brazil cannot open Telegram without workarounds. Local internet providers have been ordered to block the service, and Apple and Google have been asked to remove it from their marketplaces.
Read more about other convenient messengers "just in case" in the article "Where to go if Telegram is banned in Ukraine. Three available alternatives".