Police in Brazil arrested Diego Dzodan, the vice president of Facebook in Latin America, on Tuesday for refusing to give authorities access to WhatsApp messages related to a criminal investigation.
Dzodan was arrested in Sao Paulo, where he works, and is being held under “preventive arrest” or questioning, police said, reports The Wall Street Journal. Police wanted the messages in a drug-trafficking investigation.
Facebook called the arrest an “extreme and disproportionate measure,” reports Reuters. “Facebook has always been and will be available to address any questions Brazilian authorities may have,” the company added.
WhatsApp is very popular in Brazil and owned by Facebook. The messaging app has stressed that it does not keep records of messages after they are delivered, so it would be difficult for them to provide messages to officials there. However, officials have still clashed with Facebook over the app. For example, in December, a judge ordered the app to be shut down for 48 hours, although that ruling was later overturned.
Police have not revealed the details of the case that prompted Dzodan’s arrest. Faceook was already fined about $250,000 after refusing to follow previous requests for data.