Paulo Augusto Cavalhaes, an influencer and former participant in Big Brother Brazil 26, had his Instagram profile blocked in Brazil following a request attributed to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. A notice displayed on the social network said the restriction was connected to a legal request from the Cyber Operations Laboratory, known as Ciberlab, which is linked to the National Secretariat of Public Security, or Senasp.
The reason for the specific restriction on Cavalhaes’ account has not been publicly detailed. The account’s blocking occurred after the Ministry of Justice requested the removal of 348 profiles belonging to influencers who promoted illegal betting platforms. However, authorities have not confirmed that Cavalhaes’ profile was included in that request. The timing of the events does not, by itself, establish that the measures are connected.
The notice displayed by Instagram identified a request from Ciberlab as the basis for the restriction. It did not provide further information about the conduct under review or explain what particular content led to the action. As a result, the available information establishes that the profile was restricted in Brazil and that the platform attributed the measure to a legal request, but it does not clarify the precise grounds for applying it to Cavalhaes.
The Ministry of Justice was contacted to explain the reason for the block and to say whether the restriction was related to an investigation into advertising for illegal betting platforms. According to g1, the ministry had not responded by the latest update to its report. Cavalhaes’ family was also contacted and did not comment. No explanation from either party was available in the information provided.
The ministry’s broader request concerned 348 influencer profiles said to be involved in promoting illegal betting platforms. The figure refers to the profiles covered by that request; it does not confirm that every account restricted around the same time was among them. In Cavalhaes’ case, no official confirmation connected his profile to that group. The distinction matters because the available report describes a possible relationship under investigation or inquiry, rather than an established link.
A social-media restriction can be described in more than one way, and the wording of the Instagram notice is relevant here: the profile was reported as blocked in Brazil after a legal request. That description does not establish that the account was permanently deleted worldwide, nor does it specify how long the restriction may remain in effect. The available information also does not say whether the user can appeal the decision or whether additional steps have been taken by the platform or government.
Cavalhaes became nationally known through his participation in Big Brother Brazil 26, the TV Globo reality show. He secured a place in the program after receiving the largest number of votes in the Glass House selection for the country’s Central-West region. The Glass House is part of the show’s selection process, and the voting result identified in the report is the basis given for his entry into the competition.
Before joining the program, Cavalhaes lived in Anápolis with his older brother and was completing a degree in veterinary medicine. Information published by gshow, TV Globo’s entertainment news service, said that he spent part of his childhood on a rural property in Itaguaru, a municipality about 100 kilometers from Goiânia. He was born in Inhumas, in the state of Goiás.
His time on the reality show ended after an incident during a Big Fone activity involving fellow participant Jonas Sulzbach. During the activity, contestants ran toward the telephone. Cavalhaes pulled Sulzbach, who fell to the floor. After reviewing images of the incident, the program’s production team decided to disqualify Cavalhaes, saying that his action put Sulzbach’s physical safety at risk and violated the show’s safety rules.
TV Globo explained the decision in a statement released at the time. The network said that, after reviewing footage from the Big Fone activity that morning, it concluded that Cavalhaes had put Jonas’ physical integrity at risk. The statement said that, in accordance with the rules, Cavalhaes was disqualified. The incident is separate from the later Instagram restriction; the information available does not connect the reality-show decision to the request cited in the platform notice.
The current account restriction therefore remains distinct from the established details of Cavalhaes’ television appearance. The report identifies the government laboratory associated with the request, the ministry’s separate effort involving 348 profiles, and the lack of confirmation that his profile was among them. It also records that the ministry and his family had not provided a response by the publication’s latest update. Without further information from the authorities, the platform, Cavalhaes or his representatives, the specific reason for restricting his profile remains unclear.
