Facebook Inc WhatsApp Ban Lifted in Brazil

While the app was still blocked, the directors of WhatsApp and Facebook criticized the move.

The judge that overturned the ruling, said, “Considering the constitutional principles, it does not look reasonable that millions of users be affected as a result of the company’s inertia to provide information”.

WhatsApp is back online in Brazil after a judge has struck down a lower court ruling that temporarily blocked the popular messaging service. The original case concerns a criminal case where a drug trafficker said to be linked to the PCC, First Command of the Capital and one of Sao Paulo’s unsafe gangs.

The ban which was effective from midnight Wednesday, snarling communications for many of its 100 million users in Brazil for about 12 hours.

The court said WhatsApp had been asked several times to cooperate in a criminal investigation, but had repeatedly failed to comply.

Other messaging services said they’d gained in the temporary lack of WhatsApp.

With the lifting of the suspension, Souza instead recommended for a higher fine to be imposed on the California-based company. Brazilians are among the globe’s most voracious users of social media such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter.

Nearby countries Chile and Argentina also experienced the effects of the ban.

The Facebook mogul Mark Zuckerberg was stunned by initial ban and posted a message (below) on his Facebook wall saying that it’s “a sad day for Brazil”.

WhatsApp chief executive Jan Koum had described the decision as “short-sighted”, claiming that cutting off access to WhatsApp would isolate Brazil from the rest of the world.

Brazilian phone companies have sought and failed to get the government to limit use of free voice-over-Internet (VOIP) services offered through WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook Inc (FB.O).