Brazilian judge orders mobile providers to block WhatsApp for 72 hours

Messaging service said shutdown - the second in five months - 'punishes' more than 100 million users in Brazil in attempt to get information amid court case

A Brazilian judge has ordered wireless phone carriers to block access to Facebook Inc's WhatsApp for 72 hours throughout Latin America's largest country on Monday, the second such move against the popular messaging application in five months.

The decision by the judge in the north-eastern state of Sergipe applies to the five main wireless operators in Brazil and affects WhatsApp's more than 100 million users in the country. The reason for the order is not known due to legal secrecy in an ongoing case in the Sergipe state court.