A Brazilian Federal Justice court ordered the government to suspend paid social-media advertisements promoting the end of the 6x1 work schedule.
The ruling prevents the executive branch from using public resources to influence a legislative matter that has not yet been decided by Congress. This creates a legal boundary between government communication and political lobbying during active legislative discussions.
The action was brought by Deputy Carlos Jordy (PL-RJ), who said that the use of public funds to promote the proposal is improper [1, 2]. The court agreed that promoting a specific policy proposal while it is still under congressional discussion constitutes an inappropriate use of government resources [1, 2].
The court order specifically targets the Secretariat of Communication, known as Secom [1, 2]. The government has 48 hours [2] to comply with the suspension of the advertisements. If the administration fails to meet this deadline, the court said that a daily fine could be imposed [1, 2].
The 6x1 work schedule, which involves six days of work followed by one day of rest, has become a point of significant political contention in Brazil. The government's attempt to use paid digital campaigns to advocate for its end was viewed by the plaintiff as an overstep of executive authority [1, 2].
“The government has 48 hours to comply with the suspension of the advertisements.”
This decision reinforces the separation of powers in Brazil by limiting the executive's ability to use the state's communication apparatus to pressure the legislature. By prohibiting paid ads for a pending bill, the court is asserting that public funds must remain neutral during the democratic process of legislative debate, preventing the government from using taxpayer money to sway public opinion on specific policy changes.
