America First Legal (AFL) has initiated legal proceedings against the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. AFL is seeking records related to alleged U.S. government involvement in global censorship efforts, particularly focusing on events involving Telegram CEO Pavel Durov's arrest in France and social media censorship actions in Brazil.
Pavel Durov, who founded Telegram, a secure messaging platform with nearly one billion users globally, was detained by French authorities on August 29, 2024. He faces charges linked to purported illegal activities on Telegram, carrying potential penalties of up to ten years imprisonment and a $550,000 fine. America First Legal launched an investigation into possible involvement or prior knowledge by the Biden-Harris Administration regarding Durov's arrest.
In Brazil, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued an order blocking Elon Musk’s X platform on September 10, 2024. This action led AFL to investigate any role played by the Biden-Harris Administration in Brazilian government-led social media censorship efforts. Justice Moraes had previously demanded that X suspend or remove accounts allegedly spreading disinformation.
Recent reports by Michael Shellenberger have highlighted that U.S. agencies such as the FBI and CIA were involved in "funding pro-censorship advocacy" and advising Brazil on censorship practices. Following these revelations, Justice Moraes lifted the ban on X in Brazil.
Gene Hamilton, Executive Director of America First Legal, stated: “The American people have every right to know whether their government and their taxpayer dollars are being used to suppress free speech around the world." He emphasized AFL's commitment to uncovering information about potential collusion between U.S. entities and foreign governments in censorship activities.
Despite meeting legal criteria for expedited processing of its investigations, AFL reports it has not received requested communications or records from any of the involved agencies.