SAO PAULO (AP) — A Brazilian Supreme Court justice issued a ruling on Friday that mandated the suspension of the video-sharing platform Rumble throughout the South American nation. This action was taken due to allegations that Rumble had failed to comply with court directives. Justice Alexandre de Moraes had previously given Rumble a 48-hour ultimatum to appoint a legal representative in Brazil, but as of yet, no response had been received.
De Moraes emphasized that Rumble had demonstrated a pattern of deliberate non-compliance with Brazil’s legal system and judiciary, portraying a clear reluctance to abide by court orders. One of the key directives that Rumble had allegedly disregarded was the removal of the account belonging to Allan dos Santos, an individual wanted by Brazilian authorities and currently residing in the United States since 2020. Dos Santos is known for his strong support of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
In his official ruling, Justice de Moraes pointed out the absence of conclusive evidence regarding Rumble Inc.’s legal representation within Brazilian territory. Rumble responded to the court’s actions by asserting that it was facing unprecedented censorship in Brazil and that de Moraes’ decision was a consequence of the platform’s refusal to censor political dissidents who are based in the United States. The company conveyed its intent to pursue all available legal avenues to contest the ruling.
According to Rumble’s statement, Justice de Moraes had demanded the removal of specific content and the cessation of financial transactions linked to individuals exercising their lawful right to free speech under U.S. legislation. Rumble highlighted its unwavering commitment to free expression and adherence to the legal standards prevalent in the United States, which motivated its stance against what it perceived as extraterritorial censorship demands.
Rumble has faced allegations of enabling far-right extremism, disseminating election disinformation, and propagating conspiracy theories. Founded in 2013, the platform prides itself on its proclaimed resistance to cancel culture.
The decision by Justice de Moraes coincides with a legal dispute initiated by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s media group against the justice in a Florida court. The lawsuit accuses de Moraes of infringing upon U.S. free speech protections by imposing a ban on a Bolsonaro supporter aligned with the right-wing. Rumble has joined the legal action as a plaintiff.
This is not the first time that Justice de Moraes has taken such measures, as he previously ordered the suspension of tech magnate Elon Musk’s X platform in Brazil in August for comparable reasons. De Moraes specified that the ban on X would persist until the platform complied with his directives, imposing a daily fine of 50,000 reais ($8,900) on individuals or entities utilizing virtual private networks (VPNs) to access it.
While some legal experts have raised doubts about the legal basis of de Moraes’
