In a legal move that underscores the tensions between national sovereignty and international digital operations, media entities linked to former US President Donald Trump have initiated legal proceedings against Brazilian Federal Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The lawsuit, submitted by Rumble Inc. and Trump Media & Technology Group, alleges that Justice de Moraes has engaged in the unlawful censorship of American firms operating predominantly within American jurisdiction. It focuses on orders he issued to suspend a US-based far-right commentator’s social media accounts, which they claim were disseminating misinformation.
Rumble, headquartered in Delaware and known for providing a platform for diverse viewpoints, has sought a judicial declaration that de Moraes’s order cannot be enforced within the United States. This development is significant considering that Trump’s own social media network, Truth Social, depends on Rumble’s services for its operations. The companies assert that the extradition of American oversight to Brazilian judicial authority represents an overextension, especially as they are based in the US without tangible assets in Brazil.
Central to the argument is the issue of foreign sovereign immunity. Typically, this immunity protects foreign government officials for actions performed in an official capacity abroad. However, the complaint argues that Justice de Moraes’s directives fall beyond his official duties, thus stripping him of said immunity. The legal document further asserts that de Moraes has launched a campaign against political dissent, even intimating his involvement in controversial events, including a fatal plane crash involving a former justice colleague.
Additionally, the case draws attention to de Moraes’s previous actions, such as a controversial 2020 order targeting the ‘purging’ of social media accounts—a decision that included a temporary ban of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in Brazil, before it was lifted later in 2024. An account of this reinstatement scenario can be read here.
This lawsuit unfolds as de Moraes is set to adjudicate on coup charges against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is alleged to have orchestrated an unsuccessful coup against current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and de Moraes himself. These legal proceedings are likely to reverberate through both Brazilian and international judicial landscapes. For further details, refer to the original report here.