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By Robert Alexander
Senior Crime & Court Reporter
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An escalating international free speech clash is reigniting tensions between U.S. tech platforms and the Supreme Court in Brazil.
Rumble Inc. and Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), parent of Truth Social, have filed an amended federal lawsuit in their action against Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes after he ordered Rumble block a U.S. citizen, court papers show.
The new order from Moraes, issued July 11, demanded Rumble block the U.S. citizen, identified in legal fillings as a political commentator in Florida ("Political Dissident B") or face daily fines of 100,000 reais (about $20,000 USD) from July 13, the papers said.
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Rumble and TMTG accuse Justice Moraes of judicial overreach by ordering the blocking of a U.S.-based user's account on Rumble, demanding the preservation of the account's content, and requiring disclosure of identifying user data to Brazilian authorities.
A spokesperson for the law firm representing Rumble, Boies Schiller Flexner, told Newsweek: "Brazil is claiming that it is combating foreign disinformation and extremism, but the issue isn't whether Brazil can regulate content within its own borders. It's that this one judge—Justice Alexandre de Moraes—is attempting to enforce Brazilian censorship standards on U.S. platforms, against U.S. citizens, for speech that occurred entirely in the United States."
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He said the new filing brings the July 11 order before U.S. courts. "It raises urgent legal questions—not only about Moraes's violation of U.S. law and treaty with Brazil, but also about whether a foreign judge can secretly compel U.S. platforms to suppress constitutionally protected speech. The court will have to grapple with these issues, and we believe the amended complaint presents them in a clear and compelling way."
Rumble has been blocked in Brazil since February following an order by the same judge.
Why It Matters
The amended complaint, filed July 14 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, marks a significant escalation in a months-long legal battle.
Over the past several years de Moraes has emerged as one of the most forceful figures in Brazil's digital landscape, launching a sweeping crackdown on what he describes as online threats to the country's democratic institutions. His orders have resulted in the removal or suspension of hundreds of social media accounts, most of them affiliated with conservative and right-wing figures or causes.
With freedom of speech, digital sovereignty, and cross-border law enforcement all in play, this case may well define the boundaries of online speech for years to come.
What To Know
The American citizen at the center of the new escalation, Political Dissident B, "has been previously targeted by Justice Moraes through suspensions of his accounts on social media platforms, retaliatory criminal proceedings in Brazil, the invalidation of his Brazilian passport, and asset freezes," lawyers for Rumble said.
The new order "represents the first instance in which Justice Moraes has targeted Rumble for the account of this U.S. citizen," they added.
This amended suit supplements an original complaint filed in February 2025, which challenged Justice Moraes's earlier orders against a Brazilian political dissident living abroad.
A U.S. judge ruled then that the Brazilian orders could not be enforced on American soil.
Now, the plaintiffs assert the latest actions reveal a broader, systematic effort by Moraes to suppress political discourse on U.S.-based platforms.
Both platforms said they will not comply, labeling the order "invalid and unenforceable."
Rumble and TMTG's legal response leans heavily on the Declaratory Judgment Act and First Amendment protections, arguing that extraterritorial censorship violates American constitutional rights and norms of international comity.
Who Is Justice Alexandre de Moraes?
Rumble has been suspended in Brazil since February 2025, on Justice Moraes' orders, for allegedly refusing to comply with court orders.
To many on the Brazilian left, de Moraes is hailed as a guardian of democracy, credited with helping to stave off an alleged coup attempt following the contentious 2022 presidential election. Supporters view his actions as a necessary response, that Brazil is combating coordinated disinformation campaigns that threaten national stability and that platforms like Rumble and Truth Social have facilitated foreign interference and extremism.
Critics on the right accuse de Moraes of overstepping, attempting to impose Brazil's censorship standards globally, that he represents the dangers of judicial overreach. Detractors accuse him of weaponizing his authority to silence political dissent and suppress conservative voices, raising alarms about censorship and authoritarianism in the name of public order.
Justice de Moraes is a controversial figure, known for aggressive rulings aimed at curbing misinformation in Brazil. Earlier this year, he ordered X temporarily blocked in Brazil and threatened further restrictions on noncompliant platforms, sparking concerns from civil liberties advocates.
The U.S. government has taken notice. According to the Financial Times, the Justice Department informed Brazilian authorities in May that such foreign orders are unenforceable in the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also threatened Magnitsky sanctions against de Moraes over alleged abuses of judicial power.
What People Are Saying
A spokesperson for the law firm representing Rumble, Boies Schiller Flexner, told Newsweek: "The First Amendment protects speech on American soil. Brazil has no legal authority to compel U.S.-based companies to restrict speech by U.S. citizens under U.S. law, much less through secret orders sent directly to company headquarters in Florida. That's why Rumble and Trump Media brought this suit. Moraes is putting Rumble in the situation of having to violate U.S. law to comply with his illegal order.
E. Martin De Luca, Lead Attorney & Partner at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, representing Rumble said in a LinkedIn post on July 16 that the amended filling was "triggered by a new order of Justice Alexandre de Moraes of Brazil's Supreme Court that is the most blatant defiance of both U.S. and Brazilian law yet."
When the original lawsuit was filed, Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski said: "This is a landmark battle for free speech in the digital age."
Rumble called the U.S. courts order barring the Brazillian court's order to block "Political Dissident A", "a complete victory for free speech" that "sends a strong message to foreign governments that they cannot bypass U.S. law to impose censorship on American platforms."
What Happens Next
The amended complaint is now before U.S. District Judge Mary Stenson Scriven, who previously blocked enforcement of de Moraes's orders due to improper diplomatic service. Judge Scriven will decide whether this latest request, focused on a U.S. citizen's account, raises new legal issues.
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