US judge says Trump Media, Rumble need not follow Brazilian order they deem as censorship
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Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes (above) had ordered Rumble to block accounts belonging to Mr Allan dos Santos, a digital influencer close to Bolsonaro.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON - A US judge on Feb 25 sided for now with President Donald Trump's media company in a dispute over whether a top Brazilian judge illegally censored right-wing voices on social media in the United States.
In a case brought by Trump Media & Technology Group and the video-sharing platform Rumble, US District Judge Mary Scriven said Rumble need not comply with the Brazilian judge’s order that it should remove US-based accounts of a leading supporter of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
Trump Media, the parent of social media platform Truth Social, and Rumble sued Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Feb 19.
They accused Justice Moraes of trying to “censor legitimate political discourse in the United States” protected by the US Constitution’s First Amendment, by ordering the removal of the accounts.
Judge Scriven, however, said Justice Moraes’ order has yet to be enforced, and was not served upon Trump Media and Rumble in accordance with international treaties.
As a result, the Tampa, Florida-based judge said Trump Media and Rumble are not obligated to comply with Justice Moraes’ orders, making their lawsuit and request for a temporary restraining order premature.
In a statement, Trump Media Chief Executive Devin Nunes called the order “a major victory for free speech and free expression online.”
Rumble, in a separate statement, said the order “a complete victory for free speech” that “sends a strong message to foreign governments that they cannot bypass US law to impose censorship on American platforms”.
Brazil’s Supreme Court did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Justice Moraes had ordered Rumble to block accounts belonging to Mr Allan dos Santos, a digital influencer close to Bolsonaro.
Dos Santos lives in the United States and is considered a fugitive in Brazil, where he faces an arrest warrant in connection with probes into the spread of disinformation and hate.
Trump Media and Rumble sued several hours after Justice Moraes was asked to consider whether Mr Bolsonaro, a Mr Trump ally, should be arrested for plotting to overthrow Brazil’s government following his 2022 election loss.
Mr Trump, a Republican, was also indicted on charges he tried to overturn his own 2020 presidential election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. That case has been dropped.
On Feb 21, Brazil’s Supreme Court suspended Rumble, citing its failure to comply with court orders.
Rumble’s suspension mirrored a since-lifted suspension against Mr Elon Musk’s X in 2024.
Justice Moraes has spearheaded a crusade against perceived attacks on democracy and political use of disinformation, drawing the ire of Mr Bolsonaro supporters and Mr Musk, who is a close ally of Mr Trump.
Mr Trump owns about 53 per cent of Trump Media.
His stake is in a trust overseen by his son Donald Trump Jr. US Vice-President J.D. Vance invested in Rumble in 2021.
Judge Scriven was appointed district judge by former US president George W. Bush in 2008, after serving 11 years as a federal magistrate judge. REUTERS
