Bloqueios.Info arose from the concern that decisions to block internet applications issued by different levels of the Brazilian judiciary have the potential to generate undue restrictions on the right to freedom of expression in the digital sphere. We therefore sought to map and compile data on cases that have led to, could lead to or may still lead to interruptions in the operation of websites and digital platforms in Brazil.

Initiated in 2017 by Internetlab, in partnership with IRIS – Instituto de Referência em Internet e Sociedade, the project aims to provide a structured and easily accessible database for researchers, legal professionals, legislators, or anyone interested in the topic, facilitating a deeper and detailed understanding of issues related to decisions that have the potential to harm the right to freedom of expression in the digital sphere.

In addition, the project aims to help encourage a global debate on the judicial blocking of applications taking place in Brazil. To this end, we made the main research materials available in English, promoting access and understanding for an international audience interested in contributing to the dialogue on internet freedom.

Methodology

Bloqueios.Info includes publicly known Brazilian court cases that have led to orders to interrupt the service of Internet applications. Such cases are therefore considered to be those in which courts order intermediary companies to fully restrict the availability of access to content, information and services offered by their applications, such as websites and apps. We consider as “intermediaries” the internet connection providers and app store providers.

The project is being carried out by scanning the press, as well as periodically searching the websites of the Federal Supreme Court, the Superior Electoral Court, and courts of various states in Brazil, using the following terms (originally in portuguese):

suspension; blocking; suspension of application; blocking of application; blocking of activities; suspension of activities; blocking of service; suspension of service; temporary suspension of activities; temporary blocking of activities; temporary suspension of service; temporary blocking of service.

Based on the search results, we register court decisions suspending apps’s activities in Bloqueios.Info in the form of a timeline, and elaborate a brief analysis of the scope and effects of the decision. It is important to note that the platform does not carry out an exhaustive scan of the cases that discuss the services’ interruption, due to the fact that several of  them are under judicial secrecy, which prevents us from having a complete overview of the discussion in Brazil. On the other hand, the cases to which we have access are cataloged and allow us to research the terms of the decisions made, as well as assess their consequences for freedom of expression in Brazil.

In addition, it should be mentioned that, given the project’s scope, we have not analyzed cases of specific content removal from websites, in which application providers are ordered to remove certain content posted or user profiles. Also not included are cases of “domain name seizure”, in which authorities, through the actions of domain registrars, “hijack” websites and disable their access.