Benfica secures disclosure order against Twitter from High Court in Dublin

Two-time European Champions Benfica has secured a High Court order directing Twitter to reveal the identity of those behind an account that has posted allegedly defamatory information about the Portuguese team.

The social media company told Mr Justice Brian O'Moore, who granted the orders on Thursday, that it was neither consenting nor objecting to the orders.

The owners and operators of SL Benfica, Sport Lisboa E Benfica-Futebol, Sociedade Anonima Desportiva, sought the orders from the Irish High Court because Twitter’s European headquarters is based in Dublin.

The orders granted to the club require the Elon Musk owned social media company to disclose the identity of the person or people behind the “@o_tal_pulha” account, which has posted defamatory material about the club.

Under the terms of the order the social media company must provide Benfica with basic subscriber information including the names, telephone numbers, and email addressed provided by the registered users of the account.

IP address information relating to the account for the last sixty days, and for a one-week period between February 4th and February 10th, 2022 last must also be disclosed.

It was acknowledged that Twitter may inform the account holder about the High Court's order, and that the club must also pay all of costs incurred by Twitter in dealing with the application and providing the material sought.

The club, represented in the proceedings by David Fennelly Bl, claims the account posted defamatory comments between October and February of this year, including allegations of financial and other impropriety against it.

The club denies the claims that were posted.

The orders were granted after the court was provided with a sworn statement by a