X, formerly known as Twitter, has been banned in Brazil after failing to comply with a Supreme Court judge’s deadline to appoint a new legal representative in the country. The platform’s suspension was ordered by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who mandated the “immediate and complete” shutdown of X until it meets all court orders and pays existing fines.
The conflict began in April when Justice de Moraes ordered the suspension of several X accounts accused of spreading disinformation. In response to the ban, X owner Elon Musk criticized the decision, stating, “Free speech is the bedrock of democracy, and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes.”
This ban is the latest in a series of clashes involving Musk, who has also been at odds with the EU over X’s regulation and recently engaged in a public dispute with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Brazil’s telecommunications agency, tasked with enforcing the suspension, is moving forward with compliance, as reported by Reuters. The platform is expected to be inaccessible in Brazil within 24 hours. Justice de Moraes also issued a five-day deadline for companies like Apple and Google to remove X from their app stores and block its use on iOS and Android devices. Additionally, individuals or businesses using VPNs to access X may face fines of R$50,000 (£6,700).
🚨🇧🇷BREAKING: BRAZIL SUPREME COURT ORDERS IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION OF X
The Brazil Supreme Court has mandated the immediate suspension of X across the country.
Source: @RawsGlobal, @unusual_whales pic.twitter.com/9wApSzXydH
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 30, 2024
According to the judge’s order, X will remain banned until it appoints a new legal representative in Brazil and settles fines for violating the country’s laws. X had previously stated it would not comply with the demands, arguing that the judge’s orders required the company to violate Brazilian law.
Justice de Moraes has been involved in an ongoing dispute with X, particularly regarding accounts linked to supporters of former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, which were ordered to be blocked while under investigation. The judge warned that X’s legal representatives would be held accountable if any of the suspended accounts were reactivated.
In a related development, the bank accounts of Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink, were frozen in Brazil following a Supreme Court order. Starlink, a subsidiary of Musk’s SpaceX, has argued that the fines against X are unconstitutional and that SpaceX and X are separate entities with different shareholders.
Justice de Moraes has gained attention for his actions to regulate social media platforms in Brazil and is also investigating Bolsonaro and his supporters for their alleged involvement in an attempted coup on January 8th of the previous year.
X is not the first social media platform to face challenges from Brazilian authorities. In 2022, Telegram was temporarily banned for failing to block certain profiles, and Meta’s WhatsApp faced temporary bans in 2015 and 2016 for not complying with police requests for user data
Via BBC
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