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The Department of Justice (DOJ) sent an unprecedented letter to Brazil’s Supreme Court judiciary in May, warning judges by ordering the U.S.-based video platform Rumble to limit user freedom of speech in US soil, describing the order as an international overreach that lacks facilities.
Rumble, a popular US-based video sharing platform that frequently makes censorship efforts on other video and social media platforms, is at the heart of a continuing international fight to protect free speech that has been ongoing for months.
Brazil’s Supreme Court Judge Alexandre des Moraise ordered the suspension of the Rumble in South American countries in February, claiming that the US company had deleted the accounts of a Brazilian man living in the United States and failed to comply with court orders, including seeking political asylum.
“When you look at what’s going on around the world, it’s clear that you’re having a dangerous moment for those who believe in freedom of expression. The fundamental human rights that have been shrugged by the US Constitution and are recognized worldwide by the United Nations,” Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovsky told Fox News Digital on Tuesday, following a letter from doj.
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Brazil’s Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moles; (Evaristo SA/AFP via Getty Images)
“The fact that Rumble has become a central player in this global battle for free speech is a strong test of our mission. We are proud to be at the forefront of this effort and we are grateful that President Trump and his administration have made this battle a foreign policy priority.”
Moraes is now in the US government crosshairs after DOJ sent him a letter in May. His reported international overreach is Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who revealed at a congressional hearing that a Brazilian judge could face US sanctions.
Moraes had ordered Rumble to remove users from the platform as they have been accused of spreading misinformation online. Rumble refused and was threatened with financial penalties for lack of cooperation.
Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski. (Rumble/Fox News)
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The DOJ letter dated May 7th was released on Thursday, claiming that Moraes’ orders are not enforceable in the United States
“These rumble directives are made under the threat of financial and other penalties,” reads a letter signed by the official DOJ Ada E. Bosque. “We do not have the enforceability of various orders or other judicial instruments directing rumbles within Brazil’s territory, a matter of Brazilian law. However, we respect that such instructions are not enforceable judicial orders to the extent that these documents direct them to take certain actions in the United States.”
The DOJ did not have any additional comments to provide when approached about Tuesday’s letter.
Attorney General Pam Bondy. (Samuel Colum / Bloomberg via Getty Images | Mandelungan / AFP via Getty Images)
Pavlovski told Fox Digital that the letter was “unprecedented” and that it cannot draw clear boundaries in foreign countries and block US law and initial amendments.
“The U.S. Department of Justice’s letter to a foreign judge over a censorship order is unprecedented,” Pavlovsky said. “It draws a bright red line. Foreign officials cannot violate the First Amendment or issue censorship orders that bypass U.S. law. Such out-of-territorial overreach is incompatible with American sovereignty. And it is good news for a society that is free everywhere, not just Americans.”
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Rumble is in the midst of a battle for free speech on the world stage. (Chesnot/intributor)
The letter continued that there are established channels for international legal procedures. The DOJ directed the various appropriate procedures that the judge could detour and take to Brazilian judges regarding the court’s orders.
The rumble, facing restrictions in foreign countries, is almost new, with platforms currently disabled in China, Russia, France and Brazil. It also previously received censorship demand in countries such as the UK, Australia and New Zealand, but maintains its freedom of speech objectives.
Former Brazilian president, Jia Bolsonaro, is set to go to trial in Brazil over allegations of a coup. (Andressa Anholete/Getty Images)
The DOJ letter revealed that the State Department is considering sanctions against Morae under the Magnitsky Act, as Rubio revealed in a House Committee on Foreign Relations Hearing in May. The global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act allows the US government to sanction foreign individuals if they determine liability for human rights violations or corruption.
“We’ve seen extensive censorship and political persecution targeting the entire opposition, including journalists and the public,” Republican Florida Rep. Corey Mills asked Rubio at a hearing in May. “What they’re doing now is the politically motivated imprisonment of former President Bolsonaro, a crackdown that has expanded beyond Brazilian boundaries and has affected individuals in the US soil.
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“It’s under review now and there’s a great chance that it will happen,” replied Rubio.
A few days later, Rubio posted to X that the State Department would deploy visa restrictions for foreigners.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced a new policy surrounding visas. (Anna Money Maker/Getty Images)
“For too long, Americans have been fined, harassed and accused by foreign authorities of exercising their right to free speech,” Rubio wrote in X.
“Foreigners who work to undermine American rights should not enjoy the privilege of traveling to our country,” Rubio added. “The era of passive treatment for those who work to undermine American rights, whether in Latin America, Europe or elsewhere, is over.”
Moraes is also overseeing the upcoming trial of former Brazilian president, Jia Bolsonaro, who is accused of trying to overturn the 2022 election results.
Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva denounced the US in comments this week for threatening sanctions against Moraes.
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“It is unacceptable for presidents of any country in the world to comment on the decisions of other countries’ Supreme Courts,” Da Silva said Tuesday.
The Brazilian president added that the United States should understand the importance of “respectating the integrity of other countries’ institutions.”
Fox News Digital contacted the Moraes office on Tuesday but did not receive a reply immediately.
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