A Brazilian Supreme Court justice on Friday suspended X (formerly Twitter) in Brazil after the social media platform’s owner Elon Musk refused to name a legal representative in the country.
On Wednesday, Justice Alexandre de Moraes had warned Musk that X faced a ban in Brazil if he failed to comply with an order to name a representative within 24 hours. The company reportedly hasn’t had a legal representative in Brazil since earlier this month.
The judge’s decision orders internet service providers and app stores to block access to X within five days. Businesses and individuals who attempt to access X using virtual private networks (VPNs) will be subjected to fines.
“Elon Musk showed his total disrespect for Brazilian sovereignty and, in particular, for the judiciary, setting himself up as a true supranational entity and immune to the laws of each country,” de Moraes wrote in his decision.
In the main image, Brazilian Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexandre de Moraes is seen in court in Brasilia, Brazil, June 22, 2023. The smaller image shows Elon Musk in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on July 24, 2024, in Washington, DC. On Friday, de Moraes ordered a suspension of Musk’s X platform in Brazil.
Photos by AP Photo/Eraldo Peres/Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Prior to the action taken by de Moraes on Friday, X anticipated it would be blocked in Brazil. In a message posted on its official Global Government Affairs, the company said a ban was likely coming from de Moraes, “simply because we would not comply with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents.”
“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,” X wrote. “Our challenges against his manifestly illegal actions were either dismissed or ignored. Judge de Moraes’ colleagues on the Supreme Court are either unwilling or unable to stand up to him.”
The justice’s order on Friday is based on a Brazilian law that requires companies based in other countries to have representation in Brazil. However, Musk has publicly clashed with de Moraes in the past, including posting insults about him on X.
A major source of tension between the men came after de Moraes ordered Musk to shut down X accounts belonging to allies of former President Jair Bolsonaro‘s right-wing party as well as accounts accused of spreading disinformation. In response, the tech billionaire claimed the orders amounted to censorship.
Meanwhile, Musk’s internet business Starlink said on Thursday that de Moraes also froze the company’s finances in Brazil. The judge said he did so because X didn’t appear to have the financial resources to pay off fines levied against it.
X is a popular platform in Brazil. The market research group Emarketer has reported that around 40 million Brazilians use X at least once per month.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
