A Supreme Court judge in Brazil has ordered the suspension of Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, following the billionaire’s failure to comply with an order to appoint a new legal representative for the company in Brazil. This decision comes after months of escalating tension between Elon Musk and Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has been leading efforts to combat disinformation in South America’s largest nation.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued the ruling for the “immediate, complete, and comprehensive suspension of the operation of ‘X Brasil Internet LTDA’ within the national territory.” The National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) has been directed to “take all necessary measures to implement” the order within 24 hours. Additionally, Justice Alexandre de Moraes instructed Google, Apple, and internet service providers to “introduce technological obstacles” to prevent access to the X application and its website.
The social media platform, previously known as Twitter, has over 22 million users in Brazil. Earlier this month, Elon Musk decided to shut down X’s business operations in Brazil, claiming that Justice Alexandre de Moraes had threatened the company’s previous legal representative with arrest to enforce “censorship orders.”
On Wednesday, Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued a final warning to Elon Musk to appoint a new legal representative for the company in Brazil within 24 hours or face suspension. Following the expiration of the deadline, X issued a statement anticipating the shutdown and accused Justice Alexandre de Moraes of acting illegally, stating, “Soon, we expect Justice Alexandre de Moraes will order X to be shut down in Brazil – simply because we would not comply with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents.”
The conflict between Elon Musk and Justice Alexandre de Moraes began when the judge ordered the suspension of several X accounts linked to supporters of Brazil’s former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro. These accounts had been involved in efforts to discredit the voting system during the 2022 election, which Jair Bolsonaro lost. Brazilian authorities are currently investigating whether Jair Bolsonaro plotted a coup attempt to prevent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from assuming office in January 2023.
Among those affected by the suspension order is far-right ex-congressman Daniel Silveira, who was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2022 for leading a movement to overthrow the Supreme Court. In April, Justice Alexandre de Moraes launched an investigation into Elon Musk, accusing him of reactivating some of the banned accounts on the platform.
Elon Musk and other critics have accused Justice Alexandre de Moraes of stifling free speech. However, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva responded by stating, “Any citizen from anywhere in the world who has investments in Brazil is subject to the Brazilian Constitution and laws.”
On Thursday, Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink, reported that it had received an order from Justice Alexandre de Moraes freezing its finances and preventing the company from conducting financial transactions in Brazil. Starlink, which operates primarily in the Amazon region, claimed that the order was “based on an unfounded determination that Starlink should be responsible for the fines levied—unconstitutionally—against X.” The company announced its intention to “address the matter legally.”
In addition to this legal dispute, Elon Musk is also under investigation for an alleged scheme involving the use of public funds to orchestrate disinformation campaigns in favor of Jair Bolsonaro and his associates.
The broader issue of misinformation and conspiracy theories proliferating on social media has sparked significant debate over the need for content moderation and the delicate balance between addressing falsehoods and protecting free speech.
