Brazil has banned X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, after it failed to meet a deadline set by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes to appoint a new legal representative in the country. The judge ordered the “immediate and complete suspension” of the platform until it complies with court orders and pays outstanding fines.
The conflict began in April 2024 when Justice de Moraes ordered the suspension of dozens of X accounts accused of spreading disinformation. The platform, owned by Elon Musk, was instructed to block these accounts, many of which are linked to supporters of right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro. Justice de Moraes warned that the company’s legal representatives would be held accountable if the accounts were reactivated.
In response to the ban, Elon Musk criticised the decision and said, “Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes.”
X had closed its office in Brazil earlier this month, citing threats of arrest against its representative for noncompliance with what the company described as “censorship” and illegal under Brazilian law.
Brazil’s telecommunications agency, tasked with enforcing the suspension, has begun complying with the court’s order and by Saturday morning some users reported that the platform was no longer accessible.
Justice de Moraes has also instructed companies like Apple and Google to remove X from their app stores within five days and to block its use on iOS and Android devices. Individuals or businesses attempting to access X through VPNs could face fines of R$50,000 (£6,700).
The suspension will remain in effect until X appoints a new legal representative in Brazil and pays the fines. X had previously indicated it would not comply with the court’s demands, accusing Justice de Moraes of attempting to force the company to break Brazilian laws. An old X post said, “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. The fundamental issue at stake here is that Judge de Moraes demands we break Brazil’s own laws. We simply won’t do that.”
In a related development, the bank accounts of Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink, have been frozen in Brazil following an earlier Supreme Court order. Starlink criticised the decision through an X post, “order is based on an unfounded determination that Starlink should be responsible for the fines levied – unconstitutionally – against X.”
Justice de Moraes, known for his rulings that restrict social media platforms in Brazil, is also investigating Bolsonaro and his supporters for their alleged involvement in an attempted coup on January 8 last year. X is the latest in a series of social media platforms to face scrutiny from Brazilian authorities, following similar actions against Telegram and WhatsApp in previous years.
