BRASILIA: Brazilian authorities were on Feb 9 working to cut off access to the Rumble video app after it bypassed a ban imposed as part of the country's battle against disinformation.
US-based Rumble, popular with conservative and far-right voices, was banned by Brazil's supreme court last year after it refused to block a Brazilian user living in the US who was accused of spreading disinformation.
Brazil's telecoms regulator Anatel said in a statement sent to AFP that it was working to "reinstate the block" after Rumble managed to hide its internet addresses by routing its service through another company's network.
In 2024, Elon Musk's X social network used a similar method to briefly evade a 40-day ban imposed by the Supreme Court over its failure to comply with a series of court orders against online disinformation.
Anatel said Rumble should again be off the air in a few days.
Brazil's crackdown on online disinformation angered US President Donald Trump, who accused the country of attacking American social media companies.
It was one of the reasons Trump cited when he imposed high tariffs on Brazilian products in 2025, and imposed sanctions on top judicial authorities.
Many of these measures have since been repealed amid a warming of diplomatic ties after Trump met with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in October. – AFP
