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This rival app is benefiting from Brazil blocking WhatsApp (again)

While the ban only lasts for 72 hours, Telegram has added more than a million new users and counting.

WHATSAPP HAS BEEN blocked for a second time in Brazil after a court judge ordered it to be inaccessible for 72 hours.

The reason for the blocking was down to Facebook not handing over information requested in a drug-trafficking investigation.

The app, which has more than a billion users worldwide, is widely used in Brazil due to the country having the highest fees for texts and calls.

While the ban is still underway, one of its rivals Telegram is benefiting as more than a million people have signed up to the service since the ban started.

This isn’t the first time Telegram has benefited from WhatsApp’s misfortune. Back in 2014 after WhatsApp announced its deal with Facebook and its servers went down, Telegram saw more than eight million people sign up in four days.

The same outage also benefited another messaging app LINE, which saw two million users sign up in 24 hours.

WhatsApp was first blocked for 72 hours in December for similar reasons. In March, a Facebook executive based in the country was arrested for not complying with the court’s request. He was released the next day.

Read: The simple contact lens could be the next place for your camera >

Read: After 18 years, Internet Explorer is no longer the world’s most popular browser >

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8 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mick Hannigan
    Favourite Mick Hannigan
    Report
    May 3rd 2016, 5:12 PM

    Watch fb buy out telegram,

    43
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Enda Knight
    Favourite Enda Knight
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    May 3rd 2016, 5:45 PM

    What’s it called. Brawhatsil !

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jack Bowden
    Favourite Jack Bowden
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    May 4th 2016, 12:03 AM

    What happened to Viber? Whatsapp really took over.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Matt Safety Online
    Favourite Matt Safety Online
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    May 3rd 2016, 7:49 PM

    Telegram, Signal and Whatsapp are probably the 3 best free apps that offer end to end encryption http://www.safetyonline.info/?p=1287.

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dee on Doc
    Favourite Dee on Doc
    Report
    May 3rd 2016, 8:29 PM

    Telegram is brilliant. The speed, the bots. The only downside is the uptake here in Ireland

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Bruno Cavalcanti
    Favourite Bruno Cavalcanti
    Report
    May 3rd 2016, 8:21 PM

    Ban is over now, guys!

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Timothy McCarthy
    Favourite Timothy McCarthy
    Report
    May 3rd 2016, 7:09 PM

    Actually a lot of people are using VPN connections to still use what’s app. It’s been published on periscope

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Journaliest
    Favourite Journaliest
    Report
    May 3rd 2016, 9:00 PM

    We need establish open source services to overcome fb, google dominance. Now it seems like fb, google have gotten our souls

    4
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