Just hours after his brief arrest on Wednesday night, Google’s president of operations in Brazil has announced that the web company will remove a controversial YouTube video that slanders a mayoral candidate in that country.

Fabio Jose Silva Coelho said in a statement that he had no choice left but to take down the controversial video after Google lost its appeal against a court order demanding its removal. A Brazilian judge had earlier ruled that the video was offensive to the candidate, who is due to run in local elections next month.

Fabio Coelho said that one version of the video had already been taken down by the user who had originally posted it, and that Google would delete any other versions it is made aware of. The decision of the user to take down the video himself highlighted the “chilling effect” such episodes have on free speech, Fabio Coelho added.

Google’s Brazilian chief made the announcement on Thursday, just hours after he was released from detention following his arrest in Sao Paulo on Wednesday night. Detectives said at the time that Fabio Coelho had been released on bail, due to the relatively minor nature of the crime which was “unlikely to offend” many.

Previously, Fabio Coelho had refused to remove the video, insisting that Google bore no responsibility for the media content posted to its site. However, he stressed that YouTube adhere to its guidelines and Brazilian legislation:

“If a video is illegal in a particular country, we will restrict access to it, after receiving a valid court order or government complaint. Because we are deeply committed to free expression, we often push back on requests that we do not believe are valid.”

The controversy arose following a ruling by a court in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, which said that the videos in question violated Brazil’s strict election laws. Judge Flavio Peren ordered that the videos be removed from the site, and when that order was ignored, issued a warrant for the arrest of Mr. Coelho.

The arrest of Fabio Coelho has once more stirred a long-standing debate in Brazil about the country’s internet laws, which many believe are outdated and in need of a revamp.

“It’s not clear who is responsible for content, and that creates uncertainty for Internet companies, users and judges, who are left to interpret laws not written for the Internet,” said Jose Guilherme Zagallo of the Brazilian Bar Association.

“Our laws trying to govern the Internet are outdated.”