Brazilian Supreme Court Suspends Elon Musk's X in Landmark Free Speech Case

ICARO Media Group
Politics
30/08/2024 22h45

In a historic move, a Brazilian Supreme Court justice has ordered the suspension of Elon Musk's social media giant, commonly known as X, in Brazil. The decision comes after the tech billionaire's refusal to appoint a legal representative in the country, violating Brazilian law. The court had previously warned Musk that failure to comply could result in X being blocked in Brazil, leading to the suspension order.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has been at odds with X over its resistance to blocking certain users, issued the order on Friday. He had given Musk a 24-hour deadline to name a representative, as X had been operating without one since earlier this month. According to reports, the platform will remain blocked until it fulfills this requirement.

The ramifications of this decision are significant, as Brazil is an essential market for X. Since Musk's acquisition of the former Twitter in 2022, the platform has faced challenges with the loss of advertisers. Market research group Emarketer estimates that approximately 40 million Brazilians, or one-fifth of the population, access X at least once per month.

X took to its official Global Government Affairs page on Thursday to voice its expectation that de Moraes would shut down the platform for its refusal to comply with what it deemed to be "illegal orders to censor political opponents." The company also accused de Moraes of making threats against its former Brazilian legal representative and freezing her bank accounts.

The clash between X and de Moraes stems from the platform's reluctance to comply with orders to block certain users, including politicians affiliated with former President Jair Bolsonaro's right-wing party and activists accused of undermining Brazilian democracy. Musk, known as a self-proclaimed "free speech absolutist," has consistently argued that de Moraes' actions amount to censorship, a sentiment echoed by Brazil's political right.

De Moraes, on the other hand, has maintained that his actions are justified and lawful, with the majority of the court's judges supporting his decisions. Supporters of the justice assert that his measures seek to protect democracy during a time of increasing threats.

The order to suspend X is based on Brazilian law, which requires foreign companies to have representation in the country to ensure they can be notified of any legal cases against them. Compliance with this obligation is seen as straightforward, as operators are well aware of the standoff and the consequences of not adhering to de Moraes' orders.

As a result, experts predict that X could be offline within 12 hours of receiving the instructions. Luca Belli, the coordinator of the Technology and Society Center at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, a university in Rio de Janeiro, emphasizes the simplicity of complying with the court's requirements, given the widespread awareness of the situation.

The suspension of X in Brazil marks a landmark moment in the ongoing battle between free speech, government regulation, and social media platforms. With such a large user base in Brazil, the impact of this decision reverberates beyond just the country's borders, highlighting the growing tension between technology giants and legal authorities around the world.

The views expressed in this article do not reflect the opinion of ICARO, or any of its affiliates.

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