Google Brazil president faces arrest order
An electoral court said Fabio Jose Silva Coelho committed the crime of "disobedience" by not removing two videos that "slander, insult and defame" Campo Grande candidate Alcides Bernal.
The tribunal, in the south-western state of Mato Grosso do Sul, also asked Google to block YouTube in the town of Campo Grande, or the entire state, for 24 hours.
The arrest warrant was issued last week by Regional Electoral Tribunal judge Flavio Saad Peren and another judge rejected an appeal by Google this week.
Google said the videos were not negative election advertisements and a spokesman for the Internet giant said the company is not responsible for the content posted on YouTube.
Candidate 'a donkey'
The videos accuse the mayoral candidate of "instigating abortion, drunkenness, physical injury of a minor, illicit enrichment, and contempt as well as prejudice against the underprivileged," according to the indictment.
Mato Grosso do Sul federal police said they received the arrest warrant and forwarded it to their colleagues in Sao Paulo, where Silva Coelho lives.
However, Sao Paulo police said that they have yet to receive the warrant.
Ten days ago, an electoral judge in the northeast state of Paraiba took similar action against Edmundo Balthazar, a Google director in Brazil, for failing to comply with an order to remove from YouTube a video in which a mayoral candidate was described as "a donkey".
Google appealed the decision and the court decided that Balthazar could not be held responsible for the video content. The jail sentence was suspended.
The first round of municipal elections in more than 5000 Brazilian cities is scheduled for 7 October.
Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge
Source: I-Net Bridge
For more than two decades, I-Net Bridge has been one of South Africa’s preferred electronic providers of innovative solutions, data of the highest calibre, reliable platforms and excellent supporting systems. Our products include workstations, web applications and data feeds packaged with in-depth news and powerful analytical tools empowering clients to make meaningful decisions.
We pride ourselves on our wide variety of in-house skills, encompassing multiple platforms and applications. These skills enable us to not only function as a first class facility, but also design, implement and support all our client needs at a level that confirms I-Net Bridge a leader in its field.
Go to: http://www.inet.co.za
