Brazil’s Supreme Court on Friday ordered the suspension of American video-sharing platform Rumble in the country for failing to comply with court orders, following a similar situation faced by Elon Musk's X last year.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who also spearheaded the decision, stated that the suspension will remain until Rumble appoints a legal representative for Brazil and adheres to other directives, including paying outstanding fines, according to a court ruling.
Rumble, which received investment in 2021 from a venture capital firm co-founded by JD Vance, the current U.S. vice president, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Earlier this week, Moraes had instructed Rumble to designate legal representation within 48 hours under the risk of immediate suspension, as required by Brazilian law for foreign companies to operate in the country.
After initially cutting access to users in Brazil in 2023 due to court orders, Rumble later resumed its operations in the country this year. CEO Chris Pavlovski stated that Brazil had moved to revoke its censorship order on Rumble without providing further details.
In the latest decision, Moraes directed Brazil’s telecommunications regulator, Anatel, to take necessary actions to fully suspend Rumble within 24 hours, with Anatel confirming awareness of the ruling and committing to monitor compliance.
Moraes had previously ordered Rumble on February 9 to disable the account of Allan dos Santos, a digital influencer with ties to former President Jair Bolsonaro, and halt the monetization of his profile.
In response to allegations of censorship, Rumble had lodged a case against Moraes and Trump Media & Technology Group, citing violations of free speech. Pavlovski stated that they would not comply with Moraes' orders, calling them "illegal."
Moraes, in his recent ruling, argued that Pavlovski was misinterpreting censorship, emphasizing the constitutional ban on hate speech and incitement of anti-democratic activities.
The judge is also assessing charges filed against Bolsonaro this week, accusing him of orchestrating a plan to overthrow Brazil’s government and subvert the country's democracy following his defeat in the 2022 elections.