America First Legal (AFL) has initiated an investigation into the Biden-Harris Administration's involvement in social media censorship by Brazil's leftist government. The inquiry focuses on the roles of the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and U.S. Department of Commerce.
In June 2021, the Biden-Harris White House introduced a National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism, which included measures against "disinformation." This strategy aimed to collaborate globally with partner governments, technology companies, and civil society organizations to address online terrorist content.
In July 2021, ahead of Brazil's 2022 election, CIA Director William Burns conveyed a message from the White House to then-Brazilian President Bolsonaro, urging him to cease questioning Brazil's electronic voting system and allegations of voter fraud. Ten days before the election, Alexandre de Moraes, Brazil’s election chief and Supreme Court justice, was granted authority to order tech companies to remove posts deemed misleading by the electoral court. Justice Moraes subsequently directed social media platforms to delete some of Bolsonaro’s posts. Reports suggest that targeted U.S. pressure on Brazilian officials influenced the election outcome. Following this period, Elizabeth F. Bagley was appointed as the new U.S. Ambassador to Brazil.
On August 30, 2024, Justice Moraes ordered a block on American social media platform X across Brazil and imposed fines on Brazilians accessing it—amounting to $8,900 per day. The Biden-Harris Administration has reportedly supported these actions against free speech in Brazil, where Judge Moraes has mandated X suspend or remove over 150 accounts critical of the government.
The AFL claims that beyond Brazil, similar actions have been taken by the Biden-Harris Administration and its partners against anti-COVID mandate protestors and other dissenters globally.
Gene Hamilton, Executive Director of America First Legal stated: “The American people know first-hand the dangers associated with the censorship of free speech online–particularly given our collective experience living through such things happening here during the COVID experience. Censorship advances tyranny and oppression, and the American people deserve to know what, if anything, the Department of State, USAID, and the Department of Commerce are doing to protect American businesses and individuals from the whims of foreign governments–and whether any taxpayer resources are being used to encourage or facilitate the actions of governments engaged in censorship of American businesses.”