Telegram temporarily suspended in Brazil over non-compliance with information request

The app has been ordered by a Brazilian court to temporarily suspend its services until it provides data on extremist and neo-Nazi groups accused of inciting violence in schools.

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A Brazilian court has ordered Telegram to suspend its services temporarily until it furnishes information on extremist and neo-Nazi groups. The court order follows the app’s non-compliance with a prior court order to provide data on two neo-Nazi groups accused of inciting violence in schools.

As part of an investigation into recent extremist attacks on schools in Brazil, the police had requested Telegram to share contacts of administrators, members, and phone numbers of users from those groups, which the app failed to provide fully. The judge also imposed a daily non-compliance fine of $197,780. 

Telegram contends that its secret chats feature end-to-end encryption not stored on its servers. Last year, the app faced a similar suspension order for non-compliance with judicial orders on freezing accounts that spread fake news and non-adherence to Brazilian laws.