The decision of the Brazilian Supreme Court to ban X (Twitter) in Brazil was branded as “the worst kind of decision”, by Alessandro Valente, Co-Founder of Super Afiliados, as he discussed how operators can engage with new audiences via social media platforms.
He was speaking as part of a panel on the SBC Digital Affiliate Marketing day, revealing that the Elon Musk-owned social media platform has a strong presence in Brazil and is utilised by a wide spectrum of influencers from a whole host of industries.
Valente added that it has led to a significant amount of diplomatic problems not solely between the company but also involving other countries, as he detailed that it will be on top of his agenda when he meets with one of the ministers in Brazil next week.
There were fears from Valente over the principle it sets, with the state of Rio previously trying to block websites, which as a result were blocked throughout the whole country – with Valente describing the situation as “a mess”.
“Blocking things is outrageous – we shouldn’t be seeing this in Brazil if it is a democracy”, stated Valente as he expressed concern for companies that have spent large amounts on ads and influencers who make their living on social media.
Carlos Sanchez, CEO at TipsterChat, followed up by warning that he believes this type of action will happen more and more: “we will see governments being increasingly restrictive with platforms and platforms being more restrictive with industries such as betting and gambling”.
He pinpointed various regions banning Telegram as another example of why it is so crucial that tipsters and gambling influencers have a platform that is dedicated to what they do.
The duo both agreed that education of influencers can be vital when it comes to moving forward in challenging regulatory climates like Brazil.
Luiz Felippe Correia de Almeida, CEO at Smart Social Brasil, emphasised that the decision underlines the importance of diversifying investment when it comes to platforms and channels.
He revealed that he has had discussions with influencers this week who have had their main source of income depleted by Brazil’s ban of X. According to de Almeida this is a lesson that influencers and brands need to learn, that they need to dilute the risk and be aware that “every social they are in, they are simply renting the space”.
Earlier in the week, the Supreme Court upheld the decision to ban X in Brazil, prompting backlash from Elon Musk. The ban came following X missing a deadline for the appointment of a new legal representative in the country.
Marina Lima, Project Manager at Clever Advertising Group, stated her belief that there is a real confusion around Brazil at the moment and it is something of a grey area, with many influencers not promoting gambling in a responsible way.
She added that they have to do a significant amount of due diligence when it comes to hiring influencers in Brazil as many have promoted unlicensed operators in the past, so it’s crucial for influencers they hire to align with their operator partners.
