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WhatsApp Sees Facebook Banking Frozen In Brazil

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WhatsApp Fines in Brazil sum up to close to $19.5 million

WhatsApp refuses to compromise the security of its 1 billion users.

STATES CHRONICLE – Brazilian police officials are making a habit of taking Facebook to court. Federal police have once more urged WhatsApp to allow them access.

WhatsApp and Facebook Have Seen Blocks, Fines, and Arrests

The ongoing investigation against several high profile international drug traders has hit a snag again, according to Brazilian police. Suspected and involved parties appear to be using WhatsApp, which is currently owned by Facebook.

In less than 12 months, Brazil has asked, legally and in court, WhatsApp and implicitly Facebook to present them with the data pertinent to the suspects. Facebook has replied every time by stating that the encryption program that WhatsApp is using is preventing anyone else from reading the messages, which also includes them.

Brazil remained skeptical, it seems, and continued to demand what could be seen as a severe violation of privacy and human rights.

Previously, In December 2015, WhatsApp received a 48-hour block in the country for refusing to hand over the data which the service repeatedly said they could not access. The Brazilian courts tried again in May 2016, this time, using a 72-hour block.

Brazilian federal police even arrested Facebook’s VP as he was considered a suspect. The company’s refusal to comply with the Brazilian authorities was declared as aiding the suspects in their ongoing drug trade investigation. As such, Facebook’s Vice President was arrested in an attempt to make Facebook stand down and hand over the data.

Nevertheless, the social media service refused to be bullied into compliance and did not touch the current encryption on WhatsApp.

Presently, the Brazilian courts are trying a different persuasion approach. As such, Facebook’s banking in Brazil has been frozen. Brazilian authorities have stated that the $19.5 million frozen assets in Facebook’s bank accounts will equivalate for the total number of fines the company has been issued since first going to court.

WhatsApp has in return stated that they will continue to refuse to compromise one billion users’ security. The messaging service believes that their current encryption has been a safe and solid development. Making any modifications to it will increase the risk of hackers breaching the app and obtaining personal data and conversation.

Even though Brazilian authorities have been in an ongoing battle against international drug traders, their constant actions against Facebook and WhatsApp are seen on an international level as bullying. Similar demands are made by authorities worldwide, so perhaps an international decision should be taken.

Image Courtesy of Pixabay.

Opioid Mix in New Haven Kills 3 And Hospitalizes 20

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An unidentified opioid mix took New Haven by suprise

Thursday, June 22nd, New Haven’s opioid overdose antidote was entirely exhausted.

STATES CHRONICLE – In New Haven, an unidentified opioid mix of fentanyl and heroin has caused more than 20 people to overdose, leading to several cases of drug-induced coma, three of which so far proving to be lethal.

City officials have declared a health emergency.

Fentanyl, the powerful opioid painkiller, has been proven to be 50 to 100 times stronger than uncut heroin. Non-laboratory made fentanyl is unregulated and one of the most potent versions of the drug. When mixed with actual heroin, the resulting mix is multiplicative. It is very likely that any fentanyl-heroin mix will induce an overdose which can lead to death.

Authorities and public health officials in several states are attempting to combat the effects with Narcan, a pharmaceutical drug manufactured primarily to be a heroin overdose antidote. An opioid overdose can claim lives in anywhere from 7 to 14 minutes.

The opioid mix in New Haven proved to be so potent that doctors had to administer up to seven separate doses of Narcan to each patient. The overdose also forced doctors to hook the people up to ventilators in order to keep them alive.

Reports of overdoses started coming in on emergency channels Thursday, June 22nd. By the evening of the same day, New Haven’s medical staff reported that they had exhausted the city’s supply of Narcan.

Public health officials advised extreme caution and awareness. They have stated that the drug mixture is indeed unusual as identical overdose reactions such as these are quite rare.

Police officers stated that several conscious overdose victims believed they were buying a small amount of cocaine and that they were not aware they were consuming such a potent opioid mix.

The State Department has sent 700 additional doses of Narcan to help doctors save any other opioid-induced overdoses.

Connecticut is, unfortunately, no stranger to opioid addicts, as it was met with 723 drug overdoses in 2015 alone. Nevertheless, such a high number of overdoses and death in only one day proved to be a huge blow to the state’s morale.

The state has also been struggling with crippling infrastructure issues as budget deficits, low revenue, and an already high and rising demand for social services.

Families who suspect or know that members or friends could be opioid users are urged to seek out help in their name or to secure a dose of Narcan to be used in case of emergency.

Image Courtesy of Pixabay.

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