Jair Bolsonaro completes one year of social media ban in Brazil

On 18 July 2025, Brazilian Supreme Court Minister Alexandre de Moraes ordered former President Jair Bolsonaro barred from using any social‑media platform, directly or through intermediaries. The injunction also prohibited his son Flávio from visiting him for 90 days after Flávio attempted to publicise a handwritten letter from Jair. The ban was imposed amid investigations linking Bolsonaro and his son Eduardo to attempts to pressure Brazilian institutions and foreign governments, and preceded Bolsonaro’s 27‑year‑plus prison sentence for an alleged coup plot.

A year later the prohibition remains in force, with Bolsonaro’s last posts on X dated 17 July 2025, including a repost of a letter from former U.S. President Donald Trump. Observers say the restriction has made Brazil’s online political discourse less toxic and limited Bolsonaro’s ability to mobilise supporters ahead of the 4 October presidential election.