Brazil’s Supreme Court Orders Immediate Suspension of Elon Musk’s X Platform

Brazil’s Supreme Court has mandated the “immediate and complete suspension” of Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, previously known as Twitter, across the nation.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued a warning late Wednesday, stating that Musk could face a total ban of X in Brazil – a platform with an estimated 40 million monthly users – if he did not designate a legal representative within the country. After the 24-hour deadline passed without compliance, Justice Moraes announced on Friday that access to X would be prohibited until Musk adheres to all court orders and settles outstanding fines totaling 18.5 million reais (approximately £2.5 million).

The ruling comes with a stern warning: individuals and companies attempting to bypass the ban using virtual private networks (VPNs) will be fined 50,000 reais (around £6,785) daily, along with potential civil and criminal penalties.

Furthermore, Justice Moraes directed both Apple and Google to block the use of X on their operating systems by removing it from their app stores. The suspension is expected to take effect within the next 24 hours.

This dramatic development signifies a notable intensification in the ongoing conflict between Musk and Justice Moraes, ignited by X’s failure to follow legal orders to shut down accounts accused of disseminating “fake news” and hate speech.

The legal orders stemmed from an investigation into “digital militias” that supported Brazil’s far-right former president, Jair Bolsonaro, in his unsuccessful attempt to retain power following the 2022 election.

X has alleged that Justice Moraes threatened to imprison one of the company’s legal representatives in Brazil and froze her bank accounts. Musk, who describes himself as a “free speech absolutist,” has since closed all of his company’s offices in Brazil, labeling the judge’s actions as “censorship.”

Since acquiring Twitter for $44 billion in 2022, Musk has reinstated numerous accounts that had been previously banned for hate speech and harmful content, following massive layoffs of content moderators soon after his takeover.

In recent days, Musk has taken to the platform to voice his criticism of Justice Moraes, asserting that “Alexandre de Moraes is an evil dictator cosplaying as a judge” and calling him “a disgrace to judges’ robes.”

Reacting to the news of X’s suspension, Musk tweeted: “Free speech is the bedrock of democracy, and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes,” adding that the “oppressive regime in Brazil is so afraid of the people learning the truth that they will bankrupt anyone who tries.”

Prior to the suspension, X issued a statement indicating it anticipated being shut down due to its refusal to comply with what it deemed illegal orders aimed at censoring political opponents. The platform claimed some of those opponents included a sitting Senator and a teenager.

The platform further alleged that when it tried to defend itself legally, Judge de Moraes threatened the Brazilian legal representative with imprisonment. After her resignation, it was reported that he froze her bank accounts. X claimed that its legal challenges against de Moraes’ actions were ignored or dismissed.

“We are not insisting that other countries adopt similar free speech laws as the United States,” the statement read. “The fundamental issue here is that Judge de Moraes demands we break Brazil’s own laws. We refuse to do that. In the coming days, we will disclose all of Judge de Moraes’ demands and all relevant court filings to ensure transparency. To our users in Brazil and globally, X remains committed to protecting your freedom of speech.”

The platform is widely used in Brazil, serving as a crucial tool for communication, particularly among politicians looking to share their views and criticize opponents. As the country approaches the campaign phase for local municipal elections in October to elect mayors for 5,568 municipalities, the implications of this ban could be significant.

Source: Various reports