Social networking platform X (formerly Twitter) may be suspended in Brazil soon as the court’s deadline for the company to designate a legal representative in the country has expired.
The imminent ban stems from the Brazilian authorities’ investigation into the content moderation practices at the popular social media platform. In April, X was accused of spreading misinformation and hate and a subsequent Supreme Court order called for the removal of specific accounts. X’s owner, billionaire Elon Musk, termed the suspension of the flagged accounts an attack on free speech, equating Brazil’s Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes’ directives to “censorship”. Musk and de Moraes have become focal figures in X’s flaring fued with the Brazilian Supreme Court.
“Soon, we expect Judge 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,” X has tweeted, adding that the company’s attempts to defend itself were “either dismissed or ignored”. Musk has said users can still access the platform using virtual private networks (VPNs) in Brazil.
After blocking the identified accounts, X’s Global Government Affairs unit sent out a tweet claiming that the company was forced by the court to block “certain popular accounts” in the country without any reasons as to why the directives for takedowns were issued. X stated that the platform was prohibited to disclose which accounts had been taken down and that X was being threatened with daily fines if it failed to comply with the order. “The people of Brazil, regardless of their political beliefs, are entitled to freedom of speech, due process, and transparency from their own authorities,” the tweet added.
Since his acquisition of X for $44 billion in October 2022, Musk has repeatedly projected himself as a “free speech absolutist” who wanted to transform the platform, then known as Twitter, to create a space where “information flows freely”. However, his own actions propelling the suspension of various accounts under his supervision heavily contradicted his own vision for X along the way. In addition, Musk’s radical changes at X, including the reinstatement of previously suspended accounts and monetisation of verification badges, has led to a significant rise in misinformation and hate speech on the platform, according to research.
Musk’s feud with Justice de Moraes steamed up after the billionaire alleged that X’s legal representative was forcibly removed from Brazil after she was threatened with arrest. The Brazilian law requires all social media companies to have a legal representative in the country. The court had granted X time till Thursday, August 29, to name a legal representative, warning that failure to comply with the order would result in X’s suspension across the country. Musk has called de Moraes a “tyrant” and “dictator”.
Musk’s spat with de Moraes has been widely covered by the media the world over. Musk has used harsh words for the judge since the inception of the content moderation lawsuit and a separate investigation into the billionaire’s alleged attempts to what de Moraes has claimed hinder justice. Musk has accused the judge of “brazenly and repeatedly” violating the Brazilian constitution, calling for de Moraes’ resignation or impeachment.
X’s suspension in Brazil could be a strong setback for both Musk and the public, as the platform reportedly has nearly 40 million users in the country. The platform has stated that it will publish the Brazilian judge’s “illegal demands” in the days to come “in the interest of transparency”.
X is currently blocked in different countries, including Pakistan, China, Russia, Myanmar, and North Korea.
