Brazil probes alleged extremist plot ahead of election. Separate operations also dismantled online groups accused of promoting violence against children through Telegram and Discord.
Brazilian police said Tuesday they had uncovered an alleged extremist plot to carry out an attack in Brasília during the election period after investigating groups that used Telegram to coordinate the attack.
In a separate investigation, authorities dismantled online groups on Telegram and Discord that allegedly promoted violent challenges targeting children and teenagers.
The operations, Rede Interrompida (“Interrupted Network”) and Lívia, were conducted by state civil police forces in partnership with the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.
Victor Fernandes, the ministry’s national secretary for Digital Rights, stated that Operation Rede Interrompida uncovered two Telegram groups involved in discussing attacks during the election in the capital.
“Two groups on Telegram were identified sharing information about plans to carry out attacks in Brasília, including possible targets involving the cabinet,”
Fernandes said.
Investigators say that group members mapped government buildings in central Brasília to identify their “primary targets.” They cataloged the locations of government ministries, Congress, and the Supreme Court, and shared floor plans of the presidential palace.
Investigators said the Planalto Palace had been identified as the operation’s top target, with the attack allegedly planned for October.
Although the suspects did not specifically name the officials they aimed to target, investigators reported that the groups exchanged bomb-making manuals, talked about recruitment tactics, and spread hate speech targeting women in positions of authority.
Operation Rede Interrompida, conducted by the Federal District Civil Police, revealed that members of the alleged extremist network were using Telegram to spread neo-Nazi, antisemitic, and misogynistic content. The suspects ranged in age from 19 to 31 years old.
Authorities carried out eight search warrants across São Paulo, Paraná, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul, and Santa Catarina, with assistance from local civil police and other agencies, including Brazil’s intelligence agency (Abin).
Federal District Civil Police Chief José Werick de Carvalho said the investigation was initiated following a report from the Cyber Operations Laboratory (Ciberlab), which detected extremist activity across various digital platforms.
“Based on that information, the Civil Police, through its Division for the Prevention and Combat of Violent Extremism, conducted its own analysis of the data, opened a criminal investigation and sought court authorization for investigative measures to deepen the inquiry and preserve both digital and physical evidence,”
Carvalho said.
Operation Lívia focused on Telegram and Discord accounts suspected of being linked to groups encouraging violent online challenges targeting children and teenagers. The Civil Police of Mato Grosso do Sul state conducted the operation.
Fernandes said that the suspects coordinated and promoted their activities through Telegram, while the criminal acts were streamed live on Discord.
“This group operates simultaneously on Telegram, where it communicates and promotes events involving self-harm and the encouragement of suicide among children and teenagers, which are then broadcast live on Discord,”
Fernandes said.
The operations took place amid changes to Brazil’s regulatory framework for digital platforms, which expanded companies’ liability for third-party content involving serious crimes.
Under the new rules, platforms may be held liable for user-generated content, particularly in cases involving violence against children and adolescents.
According to investigators, there are indications that Telegram and Discord failed to comply with rules governing the digital environment, including Brazil’s Digital Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA Digital).
The new law expands the responsibilities of digital platforms and apps by requiring more robust measures to protect minors online.
During the investigation, Telegram and Discord were instructed to promptly suspend the accounts of children and teenagers linked to the cases. They were also required to block the servers and channels purportedly used to enable the crimes.
Authorities also referred the case to Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority (ANPD), which will examine whether the platforms committed systemic failures in complying with their legal obligations.
If violations are confirmed, companies could be subject to penalties under the Digital Child and Adolescent Statute, including fines of up to R$50 million per violation, temporary suspension of activities, and, if they do not comply with the law, a ban on operating in Brazil.
In a statement, Discord said it “does not tolerate the activities of extremist groups or individuals on its platform.”
“We are committed to user safety and maintain dedicated teams to disrupt the activities of these groups, remove content that violates our policies and take action against those responsible,”
Discord said.
The company also said it “maintains an ongoing dialogue with the Brazilian justice system, including the Ministry of Justice.”
“In this case, Discord proactively shared information with the authorities that contributed to the operations resulting in the arrest of those involved.”
Telegram did not respond to requests for comment.
Source: Valor International
