Last week, Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered X, formerly Twitter, to be suspended nationwide or failing to appoint a legal representative by a court-mandated deadline after Musk’s social media platform had vowed to defy previous court orders concerning content moderation including free speech and far-right accounts.
This week, the decision was upheld by a panel of federal Supreme Court justices.
See the original order below: pic.twitter.com/dKWDhdcinW
— Alexandre Files (@AlexandreFiles) August 31, 2024
The tense legal battle began in April when Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the suspension of dozens of accounts for spreading misinformation. X then informed the court that the company had no such representative in Brazil but said it would remove all its employees from the country rather than face any potential arrests for flouting orders from the nation’s highest court.
Musk, a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist,” took exception to the court orders, claiming the court’s actions infringed on the users’ rights to free speech despite banning journalists critical of him, censoring Democratic viewpoints and reportedly boosting messages from far-right extremists.
This evil tyrant is a disgrace to judges robes https://t.co/U4LW2mjsTL
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 3, 2024
“Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,” Musk said at the time. “I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means.”
As of Saturday (Aug. 31), X is banned in the South American country. In his ruling, Justice Moraes gave Apple and Google five days to remove X from its app stores and block its use on iOS and Android devices. In addition, individuals or businesses still accessing X using virtual private networks (VPNs) could be fined R$50,000 ($8,910).
Elon Musk is upset that Brazil has not only banned X, but according to Musk, has also froze Starlink's bank accounts. My theory is that America's democratic allies are now viewing Musk as a fascist-friendly far-right conspiracy propagandist and distributor of disinformation — and…
— Bill Madden (@maddenifico) September 2, 2024
The court has also frozen the financial accounts of Brazilian satellite internet provider Starlink, which Musk owns 40% of.
Musk’s X will remain suspended until it complies with its orders and pays outstanding fines, currently in excess of $3 million.
