Brazil Implements Block on X Following Supreme Court Ruling
Brazil’s Ban on X Takes Effect Following Judge’s Ruling A block on Elon Musk’s X social network began to take effect early Saturday, following an order from Brazil’s Supreme Court, AFP reports.
On Friday, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled to suspend X after a prolonged conflict with the tech billionaire over disinformation issues in Brazil. The decision came after Musk failed to comply with a court order to appoint a new legal representative for the company.
By early Saturday, some users in Brazil found they could no longer access X, formerly Twitter. Instead, they were met with a message prompting them to reload the page without successfully logging in.
Musk, who also owns Tesla and SpaceX, responded vehemently to the ruling, denouncing Moraes as an “evil dictator cosplaying as a judge” and accusing him of undermining democracy in Brazil. “Free speech is the bedrock of democracy, and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes,” Musk posted on X.
The conflict between Musk and Moraes has been high-profile, with Moraes leading efforts against disinformation in Brazil. Musk, a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist,” has faced criticism for allegedly turning the platform into a haven for right-wing conspiracy theories since acquiring it in 2022. He is a prominent supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign for a return to the White House.
Moraes’ ruling mandated the “immediate, complete, and comprehensive suspension” of X’s operations in Brazil. He instructed the national communications agency to enforce the order within 24 hours and threatened fines of 50,000 reais ($8,900) for attempts to bypass the block, such as using virtual private networks. Although he initially required Google, Apple, and internet providers to block access to X, he later retracted this demand.
The platform, which boasts over 22 million users in Brazil, faced intensified scrutiny after Moraes’ April order to investigate Musk for allegedly reactivating banned accounts linked to former President Jair Bolsonaro. The ex-president’s supporters had used these accounts to discredit the 2022 election results.
Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink, also came under pressure when Moraes froze its accounts in Brazil, preventing financial transactions. Starlink challenged the order, claiming it was based on a flawed determination that the company should bear the fines imposed on X.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva commented on the situation, asserting, “Any citizen from anywhere in the world with investments in Brazil is subject to Brazilian laws.” He questioned, “Who does [Musk] think he is?”
