A Brazilian Supreme Court Justice has mandated the suspension of the social media platform X within the country after its CEO, Elon Musk, failed to appoint a new legal representative, as reported by multiple news outlets.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes instructed the National Telecommunications Agency to restrict access to X nationwide within 24 hours. He also gave Apple and Google a 5-day deadline to remove the X app from their app stores in Brazil.
Additionally, daily fines of up to 50,000 Brazilian real (approximately $8,900 USD) will be imposed on individuals or entities attempting to bypass the ban using virtual private networks.
In a speech on Friday, Moraes said, “We have a right to defend fundamental rights. Those who violate democracy, who violate fundamental human rights, whether in person or through social media, must be held accountable,” without explicitly mentioning X or his decision.
The ongoing dispute between Musk and Moraes escalated earlier this month when Musk announced the closure of X’s offices in Brazil, citing threats of potential arrests for the company’s legal representative due to non-compliance with the judge’s “censorship orders.” The Supreme Court subsequently notified X on Wednesday that it would face a ban if a new legal representative was not appointed within 24 hours.
Musk responded to the decision on X, stating,“Free speech is the bedrock of democracy, and free speech is what allows atrocities to be called out and for people to be aware of them.”
The feud between the two parties began several months ago when Moraes opened an investigation into X after Musk reactivated accounts that were previously ordered to be blocked for spreading misinformation. Many of these accounts were linked to supporters of former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro.
In a Thursday evening post from its global government affairs account, X stated, “We are absolutely not insisting that other countries have the same free speech laws as the United States. The fundamental issue at stake here is that Judge de Moraes demands we break Brazil’s own laws. We simply won’t do that.” The company also announced plans to publish “all of Judge de Moraes’ illegal demands and all related court filings.”
Brazil requires major social media platforms to have a designated legal representative within the country. The nation has previously imposed temporary bans on other major platforms, including Telegram and WhatsApp, for non-compliance with local laws.
Furthermore, Moraes ordered the freezing of the finances of Starlink, a satellite internet service provider affiliated with Musk’s company SpaceX. Starlink stated that the order was based on an “unfounded determination” that it should be held responsible for the fines imposed on X.