WhatsApp back in service after Brazil court lifts ban

Sao Paulo: Whatsapp began working again in Brazil on Thursday after a Sao Paulo court lifted a 48-hour suspension on Facebook's popular smartphone messaging app.

The block, which began at midnight Thursday, had infuriated millions of users in the country, causing many to look for alternatives.

“Because of constitutional principles, it is not reasonable that millions of users be affected,” the court said in a statement.

Earlier on Thursday, a Brazilian court had ordered cellular service providers nationwide to block the popular smartphone application for two days stating that WhatsApp had not coorperated with a criminal investigation.

WhatsApp is hugely popular in Brazil with more than 10 million users in the country. The country is also one of the largest markets outside the US for Google, Facebook and Twitter.

(With Agency inputs)