After lower ban, Brazil's Supreme Court has lifted the restrictions on messaging service

A Brazilian Supreme Federal Court has overturned the order of a lower court banning WhatsApp, saying the importance of the popular messaging and calling service to free expression in the country was paramount.

The lower court's decision to ban WhatsApp is the third time the Facebook-owned instant messaging app has been banned, and the new decision to allow it is also the third time the app will be allowed after being banned in Brazil.

WhatsApp has been in conflict with Brazilian law enforcement and courts over access to customer data. The instant messaging service uses end-to-end encryption which makes it difficult, if not impossible, for WhatsApp to access data sent through the app.

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"In his decision, the chief justice stressed how people from across Brazil, including members of the judiciary, rely on WhatsApp to communicate with others every day, and that they bear the greatest burden when a service is blocked," the company said in a statement according to Fast Company. "We hope that this puts an end to blocks that have punished millions of Brazilians and that people can continue using services like WhatsApp to stay in touch with those who matter to them."

Earlier this year, tech Apple faced a similar situation when the FBI asked it to unlock an iPhone belonging to one of the perpetrators of the fatal San Bernadino shootings which sparked a global debate on data encryption and protection of user data.