Brazilian Court Orders Influencer Rafael Chocolate to Pay R$50,000 Over Nonconsensual 'Prank' Videos

Overview

• Pernambuco’s court upheld roughly R$30,000 in moral damages tied to a 2019 “bucket” prank, relying on medical reports and judicial expertise that linked the exposure to lasting psychiatric impacts.
• In a separate ruling, the 4th Civil Court ordered R$20,000 to Senegalese merchant Modou Lo over a 2022 video posted without consent that remains on YouTube with about 7–8 million views, and the defense has appealed.
• Judicial decisions held that blurring did not prevent identification of those filmed and described the conduct as an abuse of freedom of expression motivated by commercial interest.
• The segment featuring the first victim was edited out in 2021 under court order, but the video involving Modou Lo is still publicly accessible and continues to circulate.
• Rafael Chocolate, whose YouTube channel has more than 5.3 million subscribers, is known for street pranks; his lawyer says he removes footage when notified.