X Banned in Brazil Amid Disinformation Controversy

A Brazilian judge has officially banned X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, culminating a prolonged conflict between Elon Musk and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. On August 30, Justice de Moraes issued the order, directing the country’s communications agency to limit access to the platform within 24 hours. This decision marks the peak of an effort led by the justice to combat misinformation. This is prepared by SSP.

The dispute began in April when Justice de Moraes launched an investigation into X after Musk reactivated accounts that the platform had been ordered to block. Subsequently, Musk closed X’s offices in Brazil, alleging that Justice de Moraes had threatened to arrest the company's local legal representative for non-compliance with what Musk referred to as "censorship orders." Despite a warning from de Moraes that Brazil would ban X if it did not appoint a new legal representative, Musk refused to comply, leading to the suspension.

High on the list of grievances, de Moraes mandated the "immediate and complete suspension" of X until it adheres to all court directives and pays accumulated fines. This judicial activity originated from an April order, which required the blocking of multiple X accounts accused of disseminating disinformation, who are primarily supporters of former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro.

Reacting to the decision, Elon Musk remarked, "Free speech is the bedrock of democracy, and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes." Reportedly, X serves roughly 10% of Brazil’s 200 million inhabitants, although by the following Saturday, some users indicated they could no longer access the platform.

The platform's offices in Brazil closed earlier, with claims that the representative was pressured with arrest if she didn’t comply with orders, which were deemed "censorship." Moreover, if any banned accounts were reactivated, the legal representatives of X would be held accountable.

Additional measures have been taken by de Moraes, who granted Apple and Google a five-day period to remove X from their app stores and block its usage on iOS and Android systems. Non-compliance by users or businesses—circumventing the ban via methods like VPNs—incurs fines of R$50,000 (£6,700). Musk and the company have been criticized for their non-compliance with the judge's decisions, labeling de Moraes as left-wing.

This ban on X aligns it with Telegram, which faced a temporary ban in Brazil last year over similar non-cooperation regarding disinformation, and WhatsApp, which was temporarily banned in 2015 and 2016 for refusing to supply user data to police.

Adding to the complexity, Starlink, Musk's satellite internet firm, had its bank accounts in Brazil frozen under an earlier Supreme Court order. Starlink announced on X that the ruling imprudently held them responsible for the penalties against X.

Therefore, until X resolves these issues by complying with Brazilian law, appointing a new legal representative, and settling existing fines, its services remain inaccessible in Brazil.