Judge Alexandre de Moraes, of the Brazilian Supreme Court, clarified this Saturday to the Telegram company that only after “compliance with judicial determinations” will it be possible to suspend the blocking of the services of that platform in the country.
Source: EFE
De Moraes himself, in charge of an investigation related to the mass dissemination of false information through the internet, ordered this Friday the suspension of Telegram services, which he said has ignored dozens of citations and regulations that regulate the operation of these platforms in the country.
The decision was criticized in very harsh terms by the Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, who with the far-right groups that support him has gradually migrated to Telegram, after much of his content was removed from other platforms for being false or offensive.
This Saturday, after De Moraes determined the blocking of his services, one of the founders of Telegram, Pavel Durov, argued that there were “communication” problems between the company and the Brazilian Justice and attributed to this the lack of response to the citations.
He also asked the magistrate for “a term” to comply with some determinations of the Justice, which among other things has ordered the removal of false information disclosed by Bolsonaro himself, which casts doubt on the transparency of the electronic ballot boxes that will be used in the polls. elections next October.
The electronic voting system was adopted in Brazil two decades ago and has never been the subject of a fraud complaint, but Bolsonaro, elected with those ballot boxes in 2018, maintains, without any evidence, that they are “manipulated” and encourage cheating.
In a document released this Saturday and addressed to Telegram, De Moraes listed some of the “judicial determinations” that the company must comply with to annul the decision ordering its services to be blocked, which will become effective in the coming days.
Among others, it cites the withdrawal of the false information spread by Bolsonaro, as well as demanding that the company explain its measures to “combat disinformation” and that it appoint a legal representative in Brazil, something with which it has not yet complied and that, According to national laws, it is a requirement for its operations in the country.
Bolsonaro, who intends to aspire to re-election in the elections next October, has considered the blockade ordered by the magistrate “inadmissible” and has determined that the Government appeal against that decision, through the State Attorney General’s Office.
The far-right leader has raised the tone of his criticism of the electoral system as opinion polls have revealed a sharp drop in his popularity over the past two years.
According to the polls, the clear favorite for October is former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who has an intention to vote close to 45%, compared to the 30% that Bolsonaro would obtain.
