[Artur_Gaspar]

As someone commented, it could be the case that Facebook/WhatsApp does not even have the data any more. Also, WhatsApp operates as a separate business from Facebook. In my opinion this looks a lot more like a display of power by the government, than an actual effort in the investigation.

I don't see either how Facebook would be "protecting themselves". They have little to gain and much to lose by not cooperating with the government. It's not about publicity because it wouldn't have made the news at all if they complied.

Now, even mentioning the following may be going into conspiracy theory territory, but telephone companies were trying to get WhatsApp banned not long ago. I wouldn't be surprised if this event would further their goals.

[danielmantovani]

Do you really believe that Facebook/WhatsApp don't have the data ? Please we are in 2016, data is everything! Don't you think they sell or use our data for an infinite kind of applications like send ads ? Analysing our personal data like WhatsApp and Facebook they can have so minimum details about us and classify in really minimum groups of "publicity". The mankind never in history had so mach data and ways(powerful computers) to compute it like today. it is not a stupid conspiracy theory, Google does read our email to sell ads and it is in the ToS. The question is, just because it isn't in the ToS it doesn't exist ? And nobody can investigate it ?

[Artur_Gaspar]

Yes, I believe it is possible that they don't have the data. No, I don't think they collect private messages for targeted advertising or for any purposes at all.

[danielmantovani]

All my friends from Whatsapp show as Facebook suggestion just occasionally.