TikTok denounces censorship aimed at preventing free speech by Brazilian Supreme Court

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – TikTok sent a note to controversial Justice Alexandre de Moraes of the Brazilian STF (Supreme Court), stating that the order to block the Workers’ Cause Party PCO profiles on social networks “seriously violates” the right to freedom of expression and access to information.

In October, elections will take place in Brazil, where the president will also be elected, and the polarization associated with that is already clearly visible.

Moraes ordered the blocking of the party’s accounts on Monday (20). The party had dared on the Internet to criticize the Justice. Something that some STF Justices have unilaterally decided is not allowed in Brazil, where, as Jair Bolsonaro puts it, the ‘dictatorship that comes by the pens’ reigns.

In the document sent to the Justice, Chinese ByteDance, owner of TikTok, states that it has complied with Moraes’ decision to block the PCO’s profile.

However, the lawyers representing the company in the country asked Moraes to reconsider his decision “to avoid pre-censorship.”

The company said that the judiciary had not provided specific information about the content published by PCO that would contain possible irregularities. It requested that the order of complete blocking of the account be lifted and that only the specific posts to be excluded be indicated.

Notwithstanding the demonstrated compliance, ByteDance Brasil again questions the extent to which the “immediate blocking of the profiles/channels of the Party of Workers’ Cause (PCO) on its platforms was decided,” the company said.

“The complete blocking of the account with all content created by a regularly constituted political party seriously violates the constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression and access to information, the prohibition of  pre-censorship.”

Moraes’ decision was signed on Friday (17th) and published on Monday (20th). The blocking affects pages on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Telegram and TikTok. Read the full decision.

The Chinese had appealed Moraes decision, asking him to reconsider or send the case to the plenum.

On June 2, the Justice decided to open an investigation against the PCO for some publications on the Internet. He also ordered the blocking of the profiles of the legend on social networks.

The PCO called Federal Supreme Court (STF) Justice Alexandre de Moraes a “dictator” and a “skinhead in a toga” and has spoken out against the election of Moraes to the presidency of the TSE (Superior Electoral Court), which makes him responsible for the 2022 elections.

The party also stated on its website that TSE and STF (Supreme Court) should be dissolved. Something that millions of Brazilians want, given the demonstrated activist leftism and bias of these judges.

The investigation launched by the Justices is based on the Fake News Investigation, which investigates the spread of false news against the Supreme Court.

ABI

In a statement, the Brazilian Press Association (ABI) said it “constantly defends the democratic rule of law and democratic institutions” and “therefore does not agree with the opinion expressed by the Workers’ Cause Party” in favor of dissolving the Supreme Court.

Read the full release issued by ABI on Friday.

However, ABI reaffirms its commitment to democratic institutions but rejects pre-censorship of free speech.

NEW PRESIDENT OF SUPERIOR ELECTORAL COURT TSE

A couple of days ago, the plenary of Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE) unanimously elected the same Justice Alexandre de Moraes, rapporteur of several cases against Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro’s most aggressive opponent is now the one overseeing the elections in October. Be prepared for backlash.

The appointment of Moraes is downplayed as a routine formality carried out by the Supreme Court. But many say it is a hostile act disguised as a routine matter