Brazil Bans Telegram For Spreading Misinformation

The Brazilian Supreme Court has announced a ban on the controversial messaging platform, Telegram, and has also ordered the country’s telecom regulator Anatel to implement the ban within the next 24 hours.

Reports from Reuters and The New York Times claimed that Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes highlighted the application’s failure to respond to past judicial orders when it was asked to freeze accounts that spread misinformation regarding his decisions.

Telegram users in Brazil use the app to showcase support for the far-right President Jair Bolsonaro after other apps such as Facebook and Twitter started implementing strict measures against fake news.

Moraes has also ordered internet providers and phone carriers to block access to Telegram in the country ahead of the presidential elections, to be held in October.

The Justice also ordered Google and Apple to remove Telegram from their app stores. The two companies are expected to comply with the demands of the Supreme Court within five days or they will be charged with a fine of $20,000 per day. Moreover, users caught accessing the app via VPNs or other means after it has already been blocked will also be charged $20,000.

The President of the far-right called the decision ‘inadmissible.’ While the Minister of Justice and Public Security appointed by Bolsonaro, Anderson Torres claimed that the ‘monocratic decision’ will harm Brazilian citizens.

Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov, on the other hand, claimed that the company missed the emails received from the court and requested a delay on the ban, stating:

I apologize to the Brazilian Supreme Court for our negligence. We definitely could have done a better job.

Durov also promised to appoint a representative in Brazil to set up a framework that can help the company respond swiftly to pressing issues in the country. However, for now, the ban is imminent and it remains to be seen whether Alexandre de Moraes will give Telegram another chance.