MEXICO CITY – A Brazilian Supreme Court justice has ordered the suspension of the social media platform X across Brazil, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported on Friday.
This decisive move comes amid accusations that X, which is owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has repeatedly failed to comply with Brazilian court orders and regulations.
In a statement, Justice Alexandre de Moraes said: “Repeated, conscious and willful non-compliance with court orders and the failure to adhere to daily fines, coupled with an attempt to evade the Brazilian legal system and judiciary, has led to the creation of an environment of total impunity and ‘lawless land’ on Brazilian social networks, particularly during the 2024 municipal elections.”
The court also highlighted concerns that the platform has become a vehicle for spreading hateful and racist rhetoric, thereby undermining the country’s democratic processes.
On Aug 28, justice Moraes had given Musk 24 hours to appoint a legal representative in Brazil, warning that failure to do so would lead to the suspension of X in the country.
Previously, the Brazilian government had issued a subpoena to Musk, demanding the removal of posts and profiles spreading disinformation and hate speech on X. In response to escalating legal pressure and fines from the Brazilian judiciary, Musk closed X’s office in the country last week.
The Supreme Court has now directed the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) to disconnect the social network nationwide within 24 hours. Companies like Apple and Google have been given five days to remove the X app from their online stores.
Musk has since taken to X to criticise justice Moraes, labelling him an “evil dictator cosplaying as a judge.” However, he has not yet issued a formal response to the latest fines and inquiries from Brazil’s judiciary. – August 31, 2024