Brazil Begins Blocking Access to X Following Supreme Court Order from Judge Alexandre de Moraes

A block on Elon Musk’s social network, X, began to take effect in Brazil early Saturday following an order by Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes, according to AFP. The suspension comes after a months-long standoff between Musk and the Brazilian judiciary over disinformation concerns in the country.

Anatel, Brazil’s national telecommunications agency, has directed the country’s major telecom companies to enforce the ban on X. Anatel, which oversees Brazil’s extensive telecom network serving over 210 million people, is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Supreme Court order.

Judge Moraes issued the ruling after Musk failed to appoint a new legal representative for the company, which was a requirement by the court. By Saturday morning, many users in Brazil were unable to access X, formerly known as Twitter, and were greeted with messages asking them to reload the browser without successfully logging in.

Musk, who owns Tesla and SpaceX, reacted angrily to the court’s decision, labeling Moraes as an “evil dictator cosplaying as a judge” and accusing him of “trying to destroy democracy in Brazil.” Musk, known for his strong stance on free speech, argued that the judge’s actions were politically motivated and a direct attack on freedom of expression.

The dispute between Musk and Moraes has been ongoing for months, with the judge leading efforts to combat disinformation in Brazil. Musk, who acquired Twitter in 2022 and rebranded it as X, has been criticized for allowing the platform to amplify right-wing conspiracy theories. He has also expressed support for former U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to politics.

Moraes’ order calls for the “immediate, complete and comprehensive suspension” of X in Brazil, directing the national communications agency to enforce the ban within 24 hours. He also threatened a fine of $8,900 for anyone using tools like VPNs to circumvent the block. Additionally, the judge initially demanded that tech giants Google and Apple, along with internet providers, implement measures to prevent access to X, though he later softened that order.

Musk had previously shut down X’s operations in Brazil earlier this month, alleging that Moraes had threatened the company’s former legal representative with arrest to force compliance with “censorship orders.” The clash between Musk and the Brazilian judiciary escalated when Moraes ordered the suspension of several X accounts belonging to supporters of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who had cast doubt on the integrity of the 2022 election, which he lost.

Brazilian authorities are investigating whether Bolsonaro was involved in a plot to prevent the transfer of power to the current President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Some of those banned by Moraes include far-right figures like ex-congressman Daniel Silveira, who was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2022 for leading a movement to overthrow the Supreme Court. In April, Moraes launched an investigation into Musk for allegedly reactivating some of these banned accounts.

The situation became more complex when, on Thursday, Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink, announced that it had received an order from Moraes freezing its accounts and blocking its financial transactions in Brazil. Starlink claimed the order was based on an “unfounded determination” that it was responsible for fines imposed on X.

Musk is also facing a separate judicial investigation in Brazil regarding an alleged scheme involving public funds used to orchestrate disinformation campaigns supporting Bolsonaro. In response to the escalating tensions, President Lula remarked on Friday, “Any citizen from anywhere in the world who has investments in Brazil is subject to the Brazilian Constitution and laws. Who does [Musk] think he is?”