Supreme Court threatens to shut down X in Brazil within 24 hours
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This decision follows months of crackdowns carried out by Brazilian officials to combat the spread of misinformation and hate speech.
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Elon Musk leaves the Phillip Burton Federal Building in San Francisco, California on January 24, 2023. (AFP)
Brazil's Supreme Court warned billionaire Elon Musk on Wednesday that if he does not name a legal representative for his social media platform X in the country within 24 hours, the court will suspend its operations.
In a summons issued by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the judge alerted Musk that he has until 8 pm local time (11 pm GMT) to abide by the court's orders after he announced earlier this month that he would cease X operations in Brazil over the judge's "censorship orders."
Brazil orders closure of accounts spreading disinformation
Moraes had previously ordered the suspension of several accounts on Twitter accused of spreading disinformation, particularly those of supporters of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who attempted to undermine confidence in the voting system after losing the 2022 presidential election.
"Freedom of expression doesn't mean freedom of aggression," Moraes said, "It doesn't mean the freedom to defend tyranny."
Moraes has led the charge against disinformation in Brazil, where he also presides over the Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE). Last year, the TSE declared Bolsonaro ineligible to run for office again, citing his dissemination of false information regarding the electoral system.
Musk and others have criticized Moraes, arguing that his actions are part of a broader crackdown on free speech.
In April, Moraes initiated an investigation into Musk, accusing him of “criminally instrumentalizing” X by reactivating banned accounts. He also threatened the platform's CEO with a fine of approximately $20,000 per violation.
"Social networks are not lands without laws," Moraes stated.
Musk countered by saying that while X might lose revenue in Brazil, "principles matter more than profit."
