The Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice confirmed the suspension of the Valeu app, launched by the city government in 2022 to compete with delivery platforms like iFood. The ruling, issued on April 29, 2026, also ordered the return of public funds invested in the project.
The hearing took place on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, by the 3rd Public Law Chamber of the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice. The court rejected an appeal from the municipality and IplanRio, the city-owned company handling technology management and platform administration. This ended a public interest lawsuit claiming violation of private market competition rules.
The court ruled that the project constituted undue public intervention in a private economic activity, without evidence of significant public interest. The initial unfavorable decision against Valeu came in February 2025. "The creation and implementation of a digital delivery services platform reveals a deviation of purpose and inadequacy to the institutional duties of Public Administration," wrote rapporteur Judge Rogério de Oliveira Souza.
The lawsuit was filed by councilor Pedro Duarte (PSD), represented by BBL Advogados firm. The ruling comes amid rising competition in delivery services, with Chinese platforms 99Food and Keeta entering Brazil in 2025, following iFood's dominance and Rappi's smaller share.
