Facebook VP for Latin America arrested in São Paulo
Federal Police arrested Diego Dzodan, Facebook vice-President for Latin America, this Tuesday morning (March 1st).
According to police, Facebook has violated a court order requesting information from Facebook pages that could provide evidence in a confidential investigation into organized crime and drug trafficking in Lagarto, Sergipe.
The arrest was ordered by Judge Marcel Maia Montalvão.
Dzodan, who is an Argentine national based in Brazil, was questioned at a Federal Police building in São Paulo, where he is held awaiting further legal orders.
Earlier, judge Marcel Montalvão reported that it involves a secret investigation and the only information they can disclose at the moment is that the case handles with an interstate drug trafficking crime. The federal police (PF) had requested the Court to order WhatsApp to reveal messages exchanged in the app.
The PF had requested Facebook three times, and the company denied to release the data. On the denial, the judge imposed a daily fine of $12,500. Nevertheless, Facebook refused the request to reveal the messages. The daily fine was then raised to $250,000 and yet the company has not complied with the court order to break the confidentiality of WhatsApp conversations.
After the company ignored three court orders, Montalvão ordered the arrest of the person responsible for the company in Brazil, offering the argument that he was obstructing the police investigation.
In a statement, Facebook press office considered the employee's arrest “extreme and disproportionate”; he was escorted to the police station. The company reported that the case involves WhatsApp, which operates independently. "Facebook has always been and will be available to address any questions Brazilian authorities may have,” reads the statement.
In February 2014, the social network created by Mark Zuckerberg announced to have acquired the company operating Whatsapp for $19 billion.
Translated by Mayra Borges/Amarílis Anchieta
*This article was updated at 4:35 pm
Fonte: Facebook VP for Latin America arrested in São Paulo
