X expects Brazil to shut down platform ‘soon’ as Musk’s fight with judge heats up

Aug 30

Lauren Taylor Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Reporter), Jack Henry (Video Editor)

This report was created with support from enhanced software.

Social media platform X may soon shut down in Brazil if the country’s Supreme Court enforces its warning. The potential closure follows a prolonged dispute between X’s owner Elon Musk and Brazil’s Chief Justice Alexandre de Moraes over social media regulations and censorship.

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X’s Global Government Affairs account stated in a post that it anticipates de Moraes will close down the social media site in Brazil “simply because we would not comply with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents.”

Soon, we expect Judge Alexandre de Moraes will order X to be shut down in Brazil – simply because we would not comply with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents. These enemies include a duly elected Senator and a 16-year-old girl, among others.

When we attempted…
— Global Government Affairs (@GlobalAffairs) August 29, 2024

“Justice de Moraes threatened our Brazilian legal representative with imprisonment,” the post continued. “Even after she resigned, he froze all of her bank accounts.”

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Musk criticized de Moraes on X Thursday, Aug. 29, labeling the judge an “evil dictator cosplaying as a judge.”

Alexandre de Moraes is an evil dictator cosplaying as a judge. https://t.co/ZIV8KbDCmk
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 30, 2024

Under Brazilian law, social media platforms and foreign companies must appoint a local representative to operate within the nation. Currently, X lacks such a representative since Musk withdrew all employees from Brazil following threats of incarceration from Justice de Moraes.

The Brazilian Supreme Court issued an ultimatum on Wednesday, giving the social media platform 24 hours to appoint a representative or face suspension.

The conflict originated when Justice de Moraes spearheaded investigations into what he describes as “digital militias” accused of disseminating disinformation. These investigations led to Brazilian officials suspending the accounts of several high-profile individuals.

In retaliation, Musk announced he would reactivate those accounts, which resulted in a criminal inquiry against him.

Furthermore, Justice de Moraes blocked another one of Musk’s businesses’ financial activities. He is preventing Starlink from conducting business in Latin America’s largest economy.

“Many remote schools and hospitals rely on SpaceX’s Starlink!” Musk posted on X in response. “SpaceX will provide internet service to users in Brazil for free until this matter is resolved since we cannot receive payment but don’t want to cut anyone off.”

Tags: Brazil, Censorship, Elon Musk, Starlink, Twitter, X

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM X IS ABOUT TO BE SHUT DOWN IN BRAZIL – IF THE COUNTRY’S SUPREME COURT FOLLOWS THROUGH ON ITS THREAT.

THIS – AFTER X CEO ELON MUSK AND BRAZIL’S TOP JUDGE ALEXANDRE DE MORAES HAVE BEEN BATTLING FOR WEEKS OVER SOCIAL MEDIA REGULATIONS AND CENSORSHIP.

IN A POST, X’S GLOBAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS ACCOUNT POSTED – THAT THE COMPANY EXPECTS JUDGE DE MORAES TO SHUT DOWN THE SOCIAL MEDIA SITE IN BRAZIL “SIMPLY BECAUSE WE WOULD NOT COMPLY WITH HIS ILLEGAL ORDERS TO CENSOR HIS POLITICAL OPPONENTS.”

THE COMPANY SAID “WHEN WE ATTEMPTED TO DEFEND OURSELVES IN COURT, JUDGE DE MORAES THREATENED OUR BRAZILIAN LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE WITH IMPRISONMENT. EVEN AFTER SHE RESIGNED, HE FROZE ALL OF HER BANK ACCOUNTS.”

MUSK WENT AFTER DE MORAES ON X THURSDAY EVENING, CALLING THE JUDGE AN “EVIL DICTATOR COSPLAYING AS A JUDGE.”

UNDER BRAZIL LAW – SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND FOREIGN COMPANIES MUST HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE IN ORDER TO OPERATE IN THE COUNTRY. RIGHT NOW – X DOES NOT HAVE ONE, BECAUSE WHEN JUDGE DE MORAES THREATENED TO JAIL X’S REPRESENTATIVE – MUSK REMOVED ALL EMPLOYEES FROM BRAZIL.

THE BRAZILIAN SUPREME COURT ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY – IT WAS GIVING THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM 24 HOURS – TO FIND A REPRESENTATIVE IN BRAZIL OR FACE PENALTY OF SUSPENSION.

THE CONFLICT BETWEEN MUSK AND JUDGE DE MORAES BEGAN WHEN DE MORAES LED INVESTIGATIONS OF WHAT HE CALLS “DIGITAL MILITIAS” – WHICH ARE ACCUSED OF SPREADING DISINFORMATION. THE PROBES LED TO ACCOUNT SUSPENSIONS OF HIGH PROFILE INDIVIDUALS IN THE COUNTRY.

MUSK THEN ANNOUNCED THOSE ACCOUNTS WOULD BE REACTIVATED LEADING TO A CRIMINAL INQUIRY AGAINST THE TECH MOGUL.

JUDGE DE MORAES ALSO FROZE STARLINK’S FINANCES TO PREVENT ANOTHER ONE OF MUSK’S COMPANIES FROM DOING BUSINESS IN LATIN AMERICA’S LARGEST COUNTRY.

IN RESPONSE, MUSK POSTED: “MANY REMOTE SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS DEPEND ON SPACEX’S STARLINK! SPACEX WILL PROVIDE INTERNET SERVICE TO USERS IN BRAZIL FOR FREE UNTIL THIS MATTER IS RESOLVED, AS WE CANNOT RECEIVE PAYMENT, BUT DON’T WANT TO CUT ANYONE OFF.”

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.