Brazilian influencer Gabriel Silva ordered to suspend Instagram account for hate speech

A Pernambuco court issued a liminary injunction ordering Meta to suspend the Instagram profile @gabrielsilva within two days. The judge found that the influencer's repeated statements – calling the Northeast "the sewage of Brazil," insulting its residents and other vulnerable groups – constitute hate speech, not protected by freedom of expression. The Defensoria Pública of Pernambuco filed a civil public action seeking collective moral damages of R$976,000, equal to one real per follower, and warned Meta of fines for non‑compliance.

Gabriel Silva, who has about 976,000 followers, reacted to the ruling with new videos that again attacked the judge and continued to disparage Northeastern Brazilians, framing his content as humor and viral marketing. He claimed the videos are deliberately provocative and expressed doubt about paying the damages. Meta declined to comment, and the influencer, who resides in the United States, was ordered to be served by mail in Rio de Janeiro.