Friday the Supreme Court of Brazil had ordered the Telegram blockhugely popular messaging app. On Sunday, however, the service is back online: what happened? At the center of the story are the fake newsPresident Bolsonaro and above all an alleged address wrong email.
Telegram blocked in Brazil, but only for two days
Telegram in recent weeks it has often been at the center of political news, above all for the use that the Ukrainian and also the Russian population make of it to avoid being intercepted by the Kremlin. But this time the news comes from the diametrically opposite side of the globe: from Brazil.
Reuters reports that the Supreme Court has blocked Telegram in the country, for having repeatedly refused to block it dissemination of fake news on the platform. Telegram is reportedly becoming a key platform for the Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, after Meta, Twitter and Google have decided to block the false information disseminated by the president’s party. Especially about the situation pandemic in the country and on Brazilian electoral system.
The decision of the judge of the Supreme Court Alexandre de Moraes comes after repeated requests ignored by Telegram. That for the voice of the founder Pavel Durovapologizes for what happened: “We certainly could have done a better job.”
But he explains that “I am sure that once we have established a reliable communication channel, we will be able to efficiently carry out the process of removing content from public channels that is illegal in Brazil.”
The app is back online
On Sunday, local newspapers announced that de Moraes lifted the Telegram blockade in Brazil. In fact, it seems that Telegram had answers to the court after a first request in February. On that occasion, the lawyers of the messaging app they would communicate a new email address to send any new requests, to streamline the practices.
Instead, the Court appears to have sent the requests to a generic corporate address, which no one in the company had opened before Fridayì, the day the app was blocked. The one about the wrong email sounds like an excuse we’ve all used at least once, but Telegram has immediately carried out the will of the Court.
telegram news update
In fact, Core had asked to remove a speech in which Bolsonaro spoke of a alleged cyber attack on the Brazilian electoral system, without having any proof. Other contents to be censored were those of Allan Dos Santos, blogger supporter of the President who spread several fake news. Including many regarding Covid-19.
Over the course of the weekend, Telegram removed this content and the Supreme Court therefore gave the green light to do so reopen the telematic doors of the app. With Telegram managers who are committed to marking or removing fake news, promoting correct information and scrupulously check the 100 most popular public channels in the country. Especially in view of the upcoming elections.