A panel of Brazil’s federal supreme court unanimously upheld an order to suspend Elon Musk’s social network, X, nationwide. Justice Luiz Fux agreed but highlighted concerns about penalizing individuals using VPNs to bypass the ban. The suspension was issued by the court’s top justice, Alexandre de Moraes, after Musk’s failure to appoint a legal representative for X in Brazil within 24 hours, as previously warned.
Musk’s defiance in removing content violating Brazilian laws on political misinformation and hate speech led to this drastic measure. Additionally, the court froze the financial assets of Musk’s satellite internet service, Starlink, to ensure compliance with the fines imposed. Brazil’s telecom regulator Anatel directed service providers to block access to X, despite Starlink’s refusal to comply, risking the revocation of its licenses.
The ban took effect early Saturday, rendering X mostly inaccessible in Brazil, a highly online country and a major U.S. non-NATO ally. Musk condemned the suspension as illegal and announced intentions to pursue reciprocal asset confiscation against supporters of Brazil’s current regime. He further escalated his rhetoric by branding de Moraes a “criminal” and demanding the return of seized property belonging to SpaceX and Starlink.
The suspension of X has sparked debate among Brazilian users and politicians about the legitimacy of the ban. While some struggle to navigate alternative social media, platforms like Bluesky have reported surging activity from Brazilian users. Musk and his companies have not immediately commented on the situation, noting Musk’s inconsistent stance on free speech: resisting removal of content in Brazil and Australia, yet complying with similar demands in Turkey and India.
Original Story https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/02/x-blocked-in-brazil-after-court-majority-upholds-suspension-order.html
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