By In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing dispute between Brazilian authorities and tech billionaire Elon Musk, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has ordered the suspension of Musk’s social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in Brazil. This decision, issued on Friday, comes after Musk refused to comply with an order to appoint a legal representative in the country.
The suspension order gives internet service providers and app stores five days to block access to X throughout Brazil. Justice de Moraes stated that the platform will remain blocked until it complies with his orders. Additionally, he warned that individuals or companies using virtual private networks (VPNs) to circumvent the ban could face daily fines of 50,000 reais (approximately $8,900).
In his ruling, de Moraes strongly criticized Musk’s actions, stating, “Elon Musk showed his total disrespect for Brazilian sovereignty and, in particular, for the judiciary, setting himself up as a true supranational entity and immune to the laws of each country.”
This move marks a significant development in the monthslong feud between de Moraes and Musk over issues of free speech, the handling of far-right accounts, and misinformation on the platform. The conflict has highlighted the complex challenges facing global tech companies as they navigate varying legal and cultural landscapes across different countries.
Brazil represents a crucial market for X, with market research group Emarketer estimating that approximately 40 million Brazilians, or one-fifth of the country’s population, access the platform at least once per month. The potential loss of this user base could have significant implications for X, which has already struggled with advertiser losses since Musk’s acquisition in 2022.
X had anticipated this action, posting on its official Global Government Affairs page that it expected to be shut down by de Moraes “simply because we would not comply with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents.” The company also alleged that de Moraes had threatened its Brazilian legal representative with imprisonment and frozen her bank accounts after she resigned.
The platform has previously clashed with de Moraes over its reluctance to block users as ordered. Accounts that X has previously suspended under Brazilian orders include lawmakers affiliated with former President Jair Bolsonaro’s right-wing party and activists accused of undermining Brazilian democracy.
Musk, who describes himself as a “free speech absolutist,” has repeatedly characterized de Moraes’ actions as censorship, a view echoed by Brazil’s political right. The tech mogul has frequently insulted de Moraes on X, calling him a dictator and tyrant.
Defenders of de Moraes argue that his actions have been lawful, supported by most of the court’s full bench, and necessary to protect democracy during a period of heightened risk. The suspension order is based on Brazilian law requiring foreign companies to maintain legal representation in the country to facilitate notification of legal cases against them.
The shutdown of X in Brazil would not be without precedent. In recent years, Brazilian judges have ordered temporary suspensions of other popular messaging apps like WhatsApp and threatened to block Telegram over similar compliance issues.
apnews.com
