Influencer censored for post about TSE minister’s son goes to court

Influencer Danuzio Neto decided to take legal action against a decision handed down by judge Flávia Babu Capanema Tancredo, from the 6th Special Civil Court of the District of the Capital of Lagoa, in Rio de Janeiro, which censored a publication made by the influencer in which Felipe Brandão – son of minister of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), Benedito Barbosa – appears sporting designer clothes and accessories valued at more than R$1 million.

The judge considered that the objective of the video was to ridicule Felipe and target third parties, including minister Benedito Gonçalves.

In the decision, handed down on January 13, 2024, the judge gave Danuzio 24 hours to delete the publication under a daily penalty of R$5,000. It also determined that the influencer should not publish images of the case again under penalty of a fine of R$1,000 each time they do so.

The video was originally posted by Dutch influencer Anthony Kruijver Fashion and quickly went viral on TikTok.

The content shows the son of minister Benedito Gonçalves with a woman and a child dressed from head to toe in designer clothes and accessories that together could cost more than R$1.2 million.

In the video posted on the profile that brings together fashion content, they describe the items smiling and say that they are from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Felipe Brandão introduces himself as a businessman who buys and sells luxury watches.

This Monday (22), Danuzio Neto informed, via social media, that he is “taking all measures” to reverse the decision that censored his publication.

“I finally had access to the full process in which I was censored for republishing a video with the son of minister Benedito Gonçalves. Even though my post only published the video, without any political intention, offense or value judgment, and even though the video was published by several profiles and media outlets, I was censored. I have no interest in polemicizing, my only interest is to reverse a decision that I consider unfair and that restricts my freedoms”, said Danuzio through a statement published on his social networks.

Also on social media, the influencer’s lawyer, André Marsiglia, said that Danuzio’s post has no offense or value judgment on the people portrayed” and that the judge’s decision to prohibit future publications is “prior censorship”.

“Danuzio’s post does not offend or judge the people portrayed, it only publicizes the video, as did several profiles and press outlets. However, a decision by the TJ-RJ understood that Danuzio’s disclosure would not be of public interest and determined the exclusion of the material, even preventing him from publishing new images or videos of the minister’s son, even about new facts, which means evident prior censorship. Danúzio was not cited, but this week we will anticipate all applicable appeals measures to reverse the censorship”, informed the lawyer via the social network X.