BRASÍLIA, May 11 — Messaging app Telegram deleted criticism of a Brazilian bill seeking to stem disinformation online Wednesday, after a Supreme Court judge threatened to suspend its service and fine it more than US$2 million (RM8.9 million) a day.

The standoff came the day after Telegram sent a message to users in Brazil warning that the internet bill “gives the government censorship powers” and saying “democracy is under attack” in the country.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes called that “flagrant and illicit disinformation”, accusing the company of “illegal and immoral” behaviour.

“The message... fraudulently distorted the discussion and debate around the regulation of social network and messaging service providers, in an attempt to induce and instigate users to make their members of Congress” vote against the bill, Moraes wrote in his decision.

He ordered Telegram to remove the message and send a new one saying: “By Supreme Court ruling, Telegram informs users the previous message was flagrant and illicit disinformation attacking Congress, the judiciary, the rule of law and Brazilian democracy.”

He said the company would be punished with a 72-hour suspension and a fine of 500,000 reais (about RM449,954) an hour if it failed to comply.

Shortly after the ruling was made public, Telegram deleted its original message and sent users the new one ordered by Moraes.

Tech companies have lobbied aggressively against Brazil’s disinformation bill, which has passed the Senate and is awaiting a vote in the lower house.

Earlier this month, Moraes ruled Google, Facebook parent company Meta and Spotify had to remove messages opposing the bill from their platforms or face fines.

Dubbed the “fake news bill” by the media and the “censorship bill” by conservative opponents, the Brazilian legislation was introduced three years ago — one in a series of efforts worldwide to grapple with the flood of misinformation online.

The bill gained new prominence after supporters of far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro ran riot in Brasilia on January 8, allegedly egged on by social media disinformation claiming their candidate’s 2022 election loss to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was fraudulent.

Telegram, which calls itself a champion of privacy and free speech, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Dubai-based company has faced numerous legal problems in Brazil, including court rulings to suspend it last month and in March 2022 for failing to comply with authorities’ orders to hand over data on extremist groups and block disinformation. — AFP