Telegram blocks users in Brazil after Supreme Court order, avoids ban in this country for now

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Last Friday (25th), Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered Telegram to block profiles.

To avoid a 48-hour ban in the country, which is also punishable by a fine of R$ 100 (US$20) thousand per day (per profile), on Saturday (26) the platform removed three accounts linked to Allan dos Santos, a blogger and supporter of President Jair Bolsonaro.

According to the Supreme Court’s (STF) notice, Allan dos Santos “is one of those being investigated on suspicion of having directed a project to finance digital militias in Brazil.”

As reported by Agência Brasil, the notice was sent to a law firm that works for Telegram in Brazil.

In videos reposted on social media, Allan states that the channels have not been blocked internationally, as users in the United States can still access them. In the order released late last week, Moraes did not disclose how many channels were blocked or who owned them.

Telegram, which had ignored orders from Brazilian institutions, now “escapes” a ban in Brazil after obeying the STF.

The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) has also tried to take action against the app but was unsuccessful.

On the other hand, there is an ongoing partnership with social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and others to supposedly prevent the spread of what they call “false information”. De facto, however, it is censorship aimed to undermine Jair Bolsonaro’s chances in the presidential elections in October.

Many observers believe that with this “collaboration,” the TSE is actually ensuring that Bolsonaristas are significantly disrupted early in their ability to organize for the 2022 presidential elections in Brazil and that this institution is selling this political game under the guise of “saving democracy.”

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