Facebook suspends disinformation network tied to staff of Brazil's Bolsonaro

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc (FB.O) on Wednesday suspended a network of social media accounts it said were used to spread divisive political messages online by employees of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and two of his sons.

The company said that despite efforts to disguise who was behind the activity, it had found links to the staff of two Brazilian lawmakers, as well as the president and his sons, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro.

Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s head of cybersecurity policy, said the accounts were removed for using fake personas and other types of “coordinated inauthentic behaviour” which violated the company’s rules.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-disinformation-brazil/facebook-suspends-disinformation-network-tied-to-staff-of-brazils-bolsonaro-idUSKBN2492Y5

#brazil #facebook

Brazil will authorize payments system involving WhatsApp if rules are respected, central bank director says

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil’s central bank will authorize a payments system involving Facebook Inc’s (FB.O) WhatsApp messaging service, to send money and make payments via chats, as long as all rules are respected, director Joao Manoel Pinho de Mello said on Monday.

“We view the entry of ‘big tech’ as a huge opportunity. Everyone can participate. We will allow it, no problem. People can take whatever path they want, (do) whatever initiatives they want,” as long as rules and regulations are met, he said during a live online event hosted by Genial Investimentos.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-whatsapp/brazil-will-authorize-payments-system-involving-whatsapp-if-rules-are-respected-central-bank-director-says-idUSKCN24L2JD

#brazil #whatsapp

Brazil antitrust watchdog questions Facebook's WhatsApp payment fees

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil’s antitrust watchdog is asking Facebook Inc (FB.O) to explain the fee structure for its short-lived payments service launched in June in partnership with card processor Cielo SA (CIEL3.SA), according to a document seen by Reuters.

The service on Facebook’s WhatsApp messaging platform was blocked by Brazil’s central bank eight days after the launch.

Facebook charged merchants a 4% fee per transaction, above market prices, but transfers among individuals were free.

Cade, as the watchdog is known, said it wanted to understand the rationale for the fee and see if the deal prevented other card processors from joining the payment platform as Cielo dominates Brazil’s market with a 40% share.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-brazil/brazil-antitrust-watchdog-questions-facebooks-whatsapp-payment-fees-idUSKCN24S2QQ

#brazil #whatsapp #antitrust

Facebook puts global block on Brazil's Bolsonaro supporters

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Facebook (FB.O) said on Saturday it has put a global block on certain accounts controlled by supporters of Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro implicated in a fake news inquiry, a day after it was fined for not complying with a Supreme Court judge’s order to do so.

A spokesperson for Facebook said the order was “extreme” and threatens “freedom of expression outside of Brazil’s jurisdiction”, but said the company has agreed to the order.

“Given the threat of criminal liability to a local employee, at this point we see no other alternative than complying with the decision by blocking the accounts globally, while we appeal to the Supreme Court,” the spokesperson said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-brazil/facebook-puts-global-block-on-brazils-bolsonaro-supporters-idUSKBN24X3XC

#brazil #facebook

Fake news on Covid-19 government initatives boost phishing in Brazil

About one in eight Internet users have accessed a website with malicious content during the first months of the pandemic, research suggests.

The spread of fake news relating to government initiatives around Covid-19 placed Brazil on a list of countries most affected by phishing attacks, according to new research on spam and phishing published by security firm Kaspersky.

According to the report, about one in eight Internet users in Brazil (12.9%) accessed, between April and June 2020, at least one link that led to websites with malicious content. This is well above the global average, of 8,26% within the same period of time.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/fake-news-on-covid-19-government-initatives-boost-phishing-in-brazil/

#Brazil #fake #news #phishing

Internet use increases among poor Brazilians

A greater percentage of individuals on lower incomes is shopping online and paying for streaming services during the Covid-19 outbreak, according to new research.

There has been a significant increase in online access to financial offerings and government services in Brazil among low-income citizens, according to a study on the role of the Internet during the Covid-19 outbreak.

The study carried out by Cetic.br, research arm of the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br) suggests that Internet access through all devices has gone up significantly and online traffic in Brazil has reached record levels in the last five months, peaking at 13,5 Tbps.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/internet-use-increases-among-poor-brazilians/

#SouthAmerica #Brazil #internet

Podcast: COVID-19 is helping turn Brazil into a surveillance state

Latin America's largest democracy was a leader on data governance for years. Now, it’s reversing course.

Leading discussions about the global rules to regulate digital privacy and surveillance is a somewhat unusual role for a developing country to play. But Brazil had been doing just that for over a decade.

Edward Snowden’s bombshell in 2014 detailing the US National Security Agency’s digital surveillance activities changed all that. It included revelations that the agency had been spying on Brazil’s state-controlled oil company Petrobras, and even on then-president Dilma Rousseff´s communications. The leaks prompted the Brazilian government to adopt a kind of digital “Bill of Rights” for its citizens, and lawmakers would go on to pass a data protection measure closely modeled on Europe’s GDPR.

But the country has now shifted toward a more authoritarian path. Last October, President Jair Bolsonaro signed a decree compelling all federal bodies to share the vast troves of data they hold on Brazilian citizens and consolidate it in a centralized database, the Cadastro Base do Cidadão (Citizen’s Basic Register).

https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/09/16/1008495/podcast-covid-19-brazil-surveillance-state/

#South #America #Brazil #surveillance #state

#Brazil terrorist government president #Bolsonaro: "If you are accepting this vaccination passport, another requirement will come soon, and another and another… and you know where it will stop then… population control."

This is too totalitarian even to fascists like him

Telegram set to be banned in Brazil following a ruling by the Brazilian Supreme Court

“Telegram has long been under investigation in Brazil, as the app has been used by Brazilian politicians to share fake news. There are also reports of multiple criminal groups and channels on Telegram that provide access to drugs, weapons, and other illicit content.

The situation worsened when the Brazilian Federal Police asked Telegram to take down these groups and provide data on their members. However, Telegram never responded to any of these requests. Brazilian law states that companies that provide online services in the country must comply with court orders when requested.”

https://9to5mac.com/2022/03/18/telegram-banned-in-brazil-following-supreme-court-order-app-may-be-removed-from-app-store/


Moraes determines blocking of the Telegram messaging app throughout #Brazil

The determination meets the request of the Federal Police and was sent to providers and digital platforms, which will have to interrupt users' access to the application.

https://g1.globo.com/politica/noticia/2022/03/18/moraes-determina-bloqueio-do-aplicativo-de-mensagens-telegram-em-todo-o-brasil.ghtml

Brazil lifts its Telegram ban only two days after it was enforced

Telegram forgot to check its emails, but it's all well

We all struggle to keep track of our emails, resulting in hundreds and even thousands going unread. But it's not just individuals who suffer from email mishaps — companies do too. A recent email communication issue between Telegram and Brazil's Supreme Court cut off the service there for two days, but the social media app has since been restored after the company finally found its lost emails and made concessions.

According to the New York Times, Telegram finally complied with the court orders over the weekend. The company is said to have deleted some messages containing classified information shared by the Brazilian president Bolsonaro's account.

https://www.androidpolice.com/telegrams-about-to-be-banned-in-brazil-for-failing-to-check-its-emails/

#telegram #brazil #ban

📡@cRyPtHoN_INFOSEC_EN

Lifting the lockdown in Brazil: everything you need to know

On March 18, 2022, a Brazilian Supreme Court judge ruled to block Telegram in the country. That same night, Pavel Durov apologized to the court and asked to delay the ban of the messenger. Three days later, Brazil withdrew its decision to ban Telegram. Let's try to understand the current situation.

Immediately after first messages about the upcoming ban of Telegram in Brazil appeared, the messenger team sent an e-mail to the Brazilian court.

The letter states:
— Telegram blocked 14 channels at the request of the Brazilian court.
— Telegram blocked 19 channels containing similar information.
— In February 2022, Telegram blocked 3 more channels at the request of the court.
— Telegram's global search no longer returns results when searching for "allan dos santos" or similar terms.
— None of these Telegram channels received any monetization.
— The creators of the channels @allandossantos, @tercalivre and @artigo220 were accounts with addresses: @allansantosbr and @allandsantos (these usernames were sent in the block request).

What Telegram has promised to do in the future:
— ToS update.
— New features for reporting fake news.
— Permanent bans of channel owners for spreading misinformation.

The reason for restricting access to channels and individual posts was harsh criticism of the actions of the Supreme Court of Brazil.

If Telegram will ever receive a court order confirming you are suspected of terrorism, if the arguments of the court will be satisfying Telegram's requirements, it may disclose your IP address and phone number to the relevant intelligence agencies.

So far, there have been no such cases. If such a case occurs, information about this will be published on the @transparency channel.

#Brazil #locks

South America crops in poor condition, yields trending down.

Failures in nearly all breadbaskets as we enter a worldwide food crisis.

#Brazil #Argentina #corn #soybeans

Mastercard just outlined its digital ID push

The company claims that the network is fully operational in two markets and active in seven markets across the globe. The company has launched a digital identity in Brazil and helped the Australian government develop the TDIF, a framework for the development of digital identity services.

https://reclaimthenet.org/mastercard-just-outlined-its-digital-id-push

#mastercard #cashless #biometrics #australia #brazil

Wheat shortage as Argentine crop disappoints due to drought

Brazil to buy U.S., Canada and Russia wheat as Argentine supplies suffer

#brazil #wheat

https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/brazil-to-buy-u.s.-canada-and-russia-wheat-as-argentine-supplies-dwindle

🇧🇷🇺🇸 On the blocking of X in Brazil

On Friday, a judge of the Supreme Court of the South American country, Alexandre de Moraes, ordered the temporary blocking of the platform due to the refusal of Elon Musk to appoint a legal representative of the company in the country within the set deadline (by Thursday evening).

▪️In his ruling, Moraes stated that the operation of X is suspended until the social network's management fulfills all legal requirements: a local representative still needs to be appointed and a fine of more than three million dollars needs to be paid.

▪️The telecommunications regulator responsible for the blocking informed Western media that they are proceeding to execute the Supreme Court's ruling, but did not specify the exact timeline.

▪️Earlier, Moraes' ruling also included a requirement to fine individuals and legal entities up to nine thousand dollars per day if they attempt to use the platform with the help of a VPN. However, just a few hours later, Moraes revoked this sanction.

▪️Elon Musk, the owner of the social network, has already accused Moraes of attempting to apply unjustified censorship and of "shutting down the #1 source of truth in Brazil". Musk's statements have already been supported by some American Republican officials, but this did not impress Moraes. He insists that social networks need regulation due to incitement of hatred.

▪️The situation was also commented on by the president of the South American country, Lula da Silva: he insisted that all companies operating in the country must comply with legal obligations, even if they have a lot of money.

▪️Musk mocked the Brazilian leader's statement and called him a "house dog". Judge Moraes, in turn, became a "dictator".

🔻What was the beginning of all this?

On August 17, the management of the social network X announced the closure of the office in Brazil, while accusing the Brazilian authorities of censorship. It was claimed that the day before, Judge Moraes had threatened the company's representative with arrest if X did not comply with the court's orders.

Even earlier - in April - the Supreme Court of Brazil included Elon Musk in an investigation related to the spread of fake news on X and Musk's refusal to comply with Moraes' order to delete a number of accounts involved in this on the social network. A separate investigation was also initiated against the owner of X for obstructing the investigation.

As a result of all the legal twists and turns, the bank accounts of Starlink in Brazil, which were involved in the fake news investigation, have also been frozen. Nevertheless, Starlink continues to provide free service to Brazilians (including the military) and on Friday filed a request to lift the blocking, which was rejected.
@rybar together with @sex_drugs_kahlo
#Brazil #USA

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🇺🇸🇧🇷 Blockade of X in Brazil - a precedent for the whole world

As a result of the blockade of the platform in the largest South American country, Musk's company and all its friendly structures faced the problem of losing the largest and "extremely desirable" (as reported by some Western media) media market that flourished during the rule of the right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro.

▪️Just imagine - losing more than 20 million users given that the platform lives off advertising. However, considering the pressure from the opposing group of Western elites associated with the Democratic Party, it is becoming increasingly difficult to do this. And if in January the White House is occupied by Kamala Harris, the situation for the "Musk group" will get even worse.

▪️However, not only Musk is under fire - Mark Zuckerberg recently admitted to Congress that the White House had put pressure on his platforms, demanding content censorship. As some experts suggest, he did this in case of a possible victory of Donald Trump in the upcoming elections.

▪️The situation with the position of X in Brazil is significant because it is developing simultaneously with the arrest of Pavel Durov, the owner of Telegram. Both events were (and are) accompanied by an active media campaign in the foreign segment regarding the dissemination of prohibited content, disinformation and incitement of radical sentiments on these platforms.

📌Of course, Telegram was written about more actively, but quite recently Frida @sex_drugs_kahlo talked about the discontent of X from the authorities of Great Britain, who condemned Musk's support for right-wing protesters and expressed claims that sound even funnier than the decree from the Supreme Court of Brazil.

🔻Based on all of the above, it makes sense to talk about a new round of development of the digital market: most likely, a legal mechanism for regulating behavior in the online space will be formed, the virtual police apparatus will receive its official consolidation, and the punitive apparatus will follow it.

The era of digital freedom is officially coming to an end.
@rybar
#Brazil #USA

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FacePass Breach Exposes 1.6M Biometric and ID Records

The recent breach at #FacePass, a Brazilian facial recognition and identification app, has exposed deep vulnerabilities in the growing digital ID ecosystem. Over 1.6 million files containing sensitive user data and internal system credentials were left unsecured in a misconfigured Amazon Web Services (AWS) S3 bucket, according to cybersecurity researchers at Cybernews.

The exposed data includes national identity numbers, facial verification selfies, full names, CPF tax IDs, phone numbers, and AWS access credentials — painting a troubling picture of both individual and systemic risk.

As Brazil moves rapidly toward integrating #biometric verification and #DigitalID into its national infrastructure, this incident highlights how fragile such digital identity systems can be, especially as more and more countries are pushing to implement the controversial system.

Via @reclaimthenet
#Brazil