One of the main Bolsonarista communities on Telegram, Grupo B38 was temporarily suspended from the app this week, in a sign of changes in the use of the platform that affect all users in Brazil. After the measure, the company also changed this Wednesday (11) its rules of use, predicting that it will prohibit illegal activities. The changes to the platform, known for having little moderation, come after Telegram came into the crosshairs of the Brazilian Judiciary, especially due to the risk of spreading fake news that could affect this year's elections.
The Bolsonarista group suspended from Telegram exceeded 60,000 users, was a focus of disinformation and had been created by reserve military personnel in Recife to support the campaign of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) in 2018. B38 has representatives across the country, website and brings together organized militancy. Users who tried to join or view the group's messages, which is public, encountered the notice that the company gave moderators time to remove messages after some users had posted "illegal content." The suspension was reported by the Núcleo Jornalismo website this Tuesday (10).
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon