A court in Brazil ordered the temporary suspension of Telegram in the country. The reason: the messaging service does not want to share information about extremist groups and neo-Nazis that use the platform.
The decision was made by a judge from the state of Espirito Santo. The court also established a fine of one million reais, equivalent to about 179,635 euros, daily until Telegram complies with the request. Several users have already warned that they could not access the platform. Authorities also ordered Google and Apple to block the app.
Local media reported that the police requested the names and telephone numbers of the administrators and members of two neo-Nazi groups. They are accused of inciting violence in schools. However, Telegram only sent part of the information last Friday, according to what the news portal published. G1.
The court ruling states that “the facts demonstrated by the police authorities show a clear intention of Telegram not to cooperate with the investigation.” The company has not yet commented.
The extremist groups for which the Brazilian justice blocked Telegram
The temporary blocking of Telegram in Brazil after an attack registered last November at a school in Aracruz, in the state of Espirito Santo. Four people were killed and 13 were injured. Police later discovered that the 16-year-old murderer participated in anti-Semitic groups on Telegram.
It is not, however, an isolated case. almost have been recorded two dozen attacks or violent episodes in schools since 2000According to a report published by PA. Half of them happened in the last year alone, including the murder of four children at a daycare center on April 5.
The main authorities in Brazil have been discussing for weeks the need to regulate platforms such as Telegram. The point was discussed, for example, in a meeting at the beginning of the month in which President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Supreme Court judges and governors participated.
Telegram and fake news
Telegram has been fighting with the law in Brazil for a while. Last year, the Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes had already ordered the suspension of the application. This time, for not deleting accounts that were spreading fake news.
The controversy occurred months before the presidential elections. The possible blockade represented a blow to the campaign of the then President Jair Bolsonaro, who has more than 1 million followers on the platform.
Telegram, according to the Supreme Court judge, ignored all requests for information about some users who led disinformation campaigns. At the time, one of the founders of Telegram issued a statement saying that a communication failure had occurred. The company apologized and, this time, the suspension did not proceed.