Brazil’s Supreme Court banned the popular messaging service Telegram, in a widening crackdown on what authorities describe as fake news and hate speech in the lead-up to presidential elections later this year.
On Friday, Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered internet providers and digital stores to block the app after repeated attempts by the federal police to get in touch with the service to remove content.
Telegram is “notoriously known for its stance of not cooperating with judicial and police authorities in several countries,” police wrote in their request to Moraes, which he cited in his decision. “It has become an open space for the proliferation of various content, including that with repercussions in the criminal area.”
