Brazil’s top elections court decided Thursday that candidates will have to keep their beaks shut when it comes to vote-for-me Tweeting before the official campaign begins.
In a 4-3 vote, the court decided that politicians in the upcoming municipal elections can only start using Twitter for electoral purposes after July 6, according to Argentina’s Minuto Uno.
Brazil will be holding nationwide municipal elections this October. The first round of voting takes place 7th October, and the second on 28th October.
The move comes after a 2010 vice-presidential candidate was found Tweeting two days before the official campaign start.
Whoever violates the law will face fines ranging between 5,000 and 25,000 reals (between US$2,771 and $13,858).
The decision only affects Tweeting politicians, not those using Facebook or other social networking sites.
