A Brazilian Supreme Court justice has ordered the suspension of video-sharing platform Rumble in Brazil for allegedly failing to comply with court orders. Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued the order after Rumble did not name a legal representative in the country within the given timeframe.
According to Moraes, Rumble has repeatedly disregarded court orders and is not adhering to Brazil's legal system. One of the specific orders that Rumble allegedly ignored was the removal of the account of Allan dos Santos, a Brazilian fugitive residing in the United States and a vocal supporter of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Moraes stated that there is no evidence of Rumble Inc.'s proper representation in Brazilian territory. In response, Rumble claimed that it is facing unprecedented censorship in Brazil and is being targeted for refusing to censor political dissidents based in the United States.
Rumble, founded in 2013, has been accused of allowing far-right extremism, election disinformation, and conspiracy theories on its platform. The company asserts that it upholds free expression and adheres to U.S. legal standards, leading to its rejection of what it calls extraterritorial censorship demands.
Notably, Justice de Moraes' decision comes amid a lawsuit filed by former U.S. President Donald Trump's media group against the justice in Florida. The lawsuit alleges violations of U.S. free speech protections in connection with a ban imposed on a right-wing Bolsonaro supporter.
De Moraes had previously banned Elon Musk's X platform in Brazil for similar reasons in August. The justice ruled that X would remain suspended until it complied with his orders and imposed fines on individuals or companies using virtual private networks to access the platform.
Legal experts have raised concerns about the enforcement and grounds of de Moraes' decisions, with some criticizing the perceived authoritarian nature of the actions. X was eventually authorized to return after complying with the justice's directives, following a public dispute between the judge and Musk.
These developments underscore the ongoing challenges surrounding free speech, censorship, and legal compliance in the digital age, particularly in the context of international platforms operating across different jurisdictions.
