The Case of the Brazil Fake News Inquiry

A Brazilian judge ordered Facebook and Twitter to suspend the accounts of individuals under investigation for the “dissemination of fake news, false accusations, threats” and other illegal conduct, “affecting the honorability and security of the Supreme Court, as well as that of its members and their families”. Following growing criticism of the Supreme Court online, the Chief Justice had ordered a criminal inquiry and appointed a justice to preside over the inquiry. That justice found that there was evidence of a “coordinated use of organized computer tools, such as accounts on social networks, to create, disclose and disseminate false information or capable of harming institutions of the rule of law, notably the Supreme Court”. After ordering Twitter to suspend the accounts and learning that the suspensions were restricted to viewers from within Brazil, the judge issued an additional order requiring Twitter to block access to the accounts for all users irrespective of their location.

CYRILLA: Global Digital Rights Law

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