On Friday, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered
the suspension, saying Telegram had repeatedly refused to adhere to judicial
orders to freeze accounts spreading fake news or comply with the country's
laws.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov responded by apologising for
the company's "negligence" in replying to court orders.
Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters have
increasingly relied upon Telegram as a form of mass communication as larger
tech companies like Meta, which owns messaging app WhatsApp, Alphabet's Google
and Twitter have adhered to Supreme Court orders to drop offending accounts
over allegedly spreading disinformation.
Moraes had given a Sunday deadline for Telegram to comply
with its orders, including freezing accounts belonging to Allan dos Santos, an
activist linked to Bolsonaro.
In the Supreme Court statement, Moraes said Telegram had
shown "full compliance."
"I revoke the decision of complete suspension of the
operation of Telegram in Brazil," he added.
Telegram has appointed Alan Campos Elias Thomaz as its legal
representative in Brazil, the court statement said, fulfilling a key request.
Moraes' move further stoked debate about freedom of speech
in politically polarized Brazil in the latest chapter in the crusading justice's
battle with Bolsonaro and his allies.
The justice has been leading a series of Supreme Court
investigations into Bolsonaro and his supporters for disseminating fake news -
probes that have enraged many on the right and raised questions about judicial
overreach.
Bolsonaro had decried the suspension as "inadmissible." © Reuters
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