Upping the Ante

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Social media platform X went offline in Brazil over the weekend after a supreme court judge ordered its suspension, a move that further escalated a months-long dispute between the Brazilian judiciary and the company’s chief Elon Musk, Euronews reported.

Earlier last week, Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes set a 24-hour deadline for X to appoint a legal representative in the country, warning Musk that the platform would be blocked in Brazil if he failed to comply.

After the deadline passed, Justice de Moraes ordered the platform’s suspension and a daily fine of nearly $9,000 for individuals or companies using VPNs to bypass the suspension and access X.

Initially, the suspension order required both Internet service providers and app stores to block access to X. However, Justice de Moraes later narrowed the directive to target only the telecommunications regulator, Anatel, which was given 24 hours to enforce the order.

The move underscores a broader conflict between the judge and Musk over issues related to free speech, the spread of misinformation and far-right content in Brazil.

Musk criticized the decision and called de Moraes an “evil dictator cosplaying as a judge.” Meanwhile, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva supported the order, emphasizing that all investors, including Musk, must respect Brazilian laws and judicial decisions.

Even so, the suspension has divided many in the Latin American nation, where X is used by around 40 million users – roughly one-fifth of the population. The suspension led many to migrate to alternative platforms, according to the Associated Press.

However, many politicians and public figures, including supporters of right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro, condemned the move as authoritarian and undermining freedom of expression.

Some observers and officials also questioned the decision’s legal basis and enforcement: On Friday, the Brazilian Bar Association expressed concerns over the summary imposition of fines for VPN use without due process.

The full bench of Brazil’s Supreme Court is expected to review the case, but no date has been set for these deliberations.

The feud between Musk and Brazilian authorities also extended beyond X, with reports that Brazil’s top judge ordered a freeze on the finances of Starlink, Musk’s satellite Internet company, Axios noted.

Starlink said that this action violated due process as enshrined in the constitution and was unjustly linked to the fines imposed on X.