In a unanimous decision, a panel of Brazil’s federal supreme court justices voted to uphold the orders suspending the use of Elon Musk’s social network X nationwide. This decision came after Justice Luiz Fux expressed some reservations about the measure of the order that allows the court to fine individuals or businesses engaging in “subterfuge,” such as using VPNs to bypass the block on X. The top justice, Alexandre de Moraes, issued the controversial suspension orders after giving Musk and X a 24-hour deadline to appoint a legal representative in Brazil.
X had previously defied court requests to remove accounts and posts that violated Brazil’s laws on political misinformation and hate speech. As a result, the court also froze the financial assets of another Musk-led business, Starlink, to ensure that the fines imposed on X would be paid. Despite this, Starlink has informed Brazil’s telecoms regulator that it does not intend to comply with the blocking orders, risking the possibility of having its operating licenses revoked in the country.
Musk and his companies have openly criticized de Moraes’s actions, labeling them as “illegal” and the court’s orders as lacking due process. Musk has escalated his rhetoric against de Moraes, with calls to impeach him and even threatening reciprocal confiscation of assets of those supporting the current Brazilian regime. These escalations have stirred controversy, especially with Musk’s statements regarding U.S. foreign aid to Brazil and potential reciprocal seizures of government assets.
The blocking of X in Brazil has sparked debate among users and politicians, with some questioning the legitimacy of the ban. Many Brazilians have expressed difficulties and doubts in navigating other social media platforms in the absence of X. However, some users have started to migrate to alternative social networks, such as Bluesky, which recently reported increased activity from Brazilian users.
Musk has positioned himself as a proponent of free speech, but his track record on content moderation has been inconsistent. While he has resisted orders to remove content from authorities in Brazil and Australia, X has removed content critical of ruling parties in Turkey and India. This discrepancy in handling content has fueled debates on the platform’s commitment to free speech principles.
The suspension of Elon Musk’s social network X in Brazil has raised significant legal and ethical questions surrounding freedom of speech, content moderation, and foreign government intervention in tech platforms. The ongoing conflict between Musk, the Brazilian court, and regulators highlights the complexities of balancing legal compliance, free speech rights, and political tensions in the digital age.