Telegram claims that Brazilian Justice demands data “impossible” to obtain

The co-founder of the messaging application Telegram, Pavel Durov, affirmed this April 27 that the Brazilian Justice is demanding data from him that is “impossible” to collect, for which he announced that he would appeal the decision to suspend the use of the platform in Brazil.

“In Brazil, a court requested data that are technologically impossible to obtain; we are appealing the decision and awaiting the final resolution; no matter the cost, we will defend our users in Brazil and their right to private communication,” he reported on his app channel.

Brazilian Justice blocked the use of Telegram throughout Brazil on April 26 following a request from the Federal Police for not collaborating in an investigation into alleged neo-Nazi groups planning violent attacks in schools.

As reported by the local press, the Federal Police refuted Durov’s statements, denying that data such as phone numbers of users of neo-Nazi groups were impossible to obtain, adding that the company’s delay in handing over the data allowed these Telegram groups under investigation to be excluded.

Last year, Telegram was already on the verge of being suspended in Brazil because electoral authorities alleged that the platform was unwilling to collaborate on measures that would guarantee the security of the elections and curb the dissemination of disinformation.

With information from Sputnik