The government of Brazil has filed a lawsuit against Twitter, demanding that the firm remove accounts in the country that warn citizens of police speed traps and roadblocks.

The lawsuit was filed by the Attorney General of the Union (AGU) Luis Inacio Lucena Adams to a federal court in the state of Goias. It claims accounts that provide information to road users violate both traffic and criminal laws. The government wants the definitive closure of accounts revealing the date, time and place of police checkpoints.

According to the AGU, these accounts directly harm the life, safety, and property of people in general. It has cited various studies to show the toll of traffic accidents, saying that 55,000 people die each year on the country's sprawling highways.

The lawsuit comes after Twitter announced in January that it could block messages that contravened local laws if requested by governments.

Court Attorney general Lawsuit Twitter