Brazilian Federal Attorney’s Office sues Twitter

Despite Twitter’s recent move to censor tweets by region, it looks like it isn’t enough to keep the Brazilian Federal Attorney Office happy. It recently received a lawsuit from the Brazilian Federal Attorney Office, requesting that it suspends and block Twitter profiles that warn other Twitter users about traffic controllers. In case you didn’t know, there are a number of Brazilian twitter profiles created solely to warn Twitter users about where radars and mobile road control points (aka “blitzes”) are.

While these profiles have allowed tech-savvy drivers the option to look for alternative roads to beat traffic jams, it has also allowed those who are drunk, (or up to other no good activities) avoid the authorities. Twitter has always been an advocate of freedom of speech, but all these laws and rules placed by governments in recent years have been censoring the service. With the threat of a $290,000 daily fine for each day these “traffic” profiles remain online, it looks like Twitter will have to come to a decision soon about whether it should shut down profiles for “unlawful” content.

What do you think? Have you ever used Twitter to help you beat road blocks or speed traps?

George Wong
Categories: Web
Tags: brazil, Twitter