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Judge in Brazil orders arrest of Google exec over YouTube videos

The court orders the arrest after Google fails to remove YouTube videos slamming a mayoral candidate.

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Donna Tam Staff Writer / News
Donna Tam covers Amazon and other fun stuff for CNET News. She is a San Francisco native who enjoys feasting, merrymaking, checking her Gmail and reading her Kindle.
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Donna Tam

Google's refusal to remove YouTube videos of a politician has created trouble for its head of operations in Brazil.

A Brazilian judge has ordered the arrest of Google executive Fabio Jose Silva Coelho because the company didn't take down videos that slammed a mayoral candidate, the Associated Press reported today.

Judge Flavio Peren last week ordered Google to remove the two videos -- which included negative remarks about Alcides Bernal, who's running for mayor of the city of Campo Grande -- and initiated a statewide, 24-hour suspension of Google and its video-sharing site.

CNET has contacted Google and will update when we hear back, but the company issued a statement to the Associated Press saying it will appeal the ruling since it is not responsible for content posted on the site. Police told the AP that they haven't received orders to arrest Coelho.

A search on YouTube shows several videos of candidate Bernal, including one about documents he's allegedly hiding and another accusing Bernal of money laundering.