Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), summoned Pablo Marçal, PRTB candidate for mayor of São Paulo, to give testimony within 24 hours for using X during the platform’s ban in Brazil.
According to the decision, there are signs of abuse of economic power and misuse of the media, “the affront to the legitimacy and normality of the electoral campaign being serious, and may result in revocation of registration or diploma and ineligibility”.
In the decision, the minister explains that he ordered the Federal Police to monitor extreme cases of use of X so that, once the user was identified, he or she would be notified of the STF’s decision to platform suspension. The social network X has been suspended in Brazil since August 30th.
According to a letter from the PF sent to the minister, Pablo Marçal’s profile has made several posts since October 2nd – among them, the one showing a false report against Guilherme Boulos (PSOL).
“It should be noted that the systematic use of this profile today, as well as in previous days, fits the hypothesis of monitoring extreme cases, in which users use subterfuge to access and publish on platform X, in a systematic and improper way, with the purpose of spreading misinformation regarding the 2024 elections, with hate and anti-democratic speech, as stated by the Attorney General’s Office”, says an excerpt from the decision.
Moraes asks that his decision and the Federal Police report be forwarded urgently to the president of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), Minister Cármen Lúcia.
Moraes’ decision comes after the São Paulo Regional Court (TRE-SP) order Marçal’s profile suspended from Instagram.
