Brazil’s Supreme Court has taken a bold step by imposing a complete ban on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. On August 30, 2024, the Brazilian court issued the ban for failure by the company to name a legal representative in Brazil and operate within its borders, as legally provided for foreign companies. Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has been at the epicenter of this ongoing dispute with the owner of X, Elon Musk, made a shocking ruling to many Brazilian users.
Brazil’s Supreme Court announces that anyone using VPN to access Twitter/X will be fined up to $8,874 a day, following its suspension. PIC.TWITTER.COM/I8RFPKMURD
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) AUGUST 30, 2024
On Friday, Judge de Moraes ordered the “immediate, total and complete suspension” of X, ordering the national communications agency to take whatever measures necessary to implement the ban. He left nothing to chance: anyone trying to circumvent this block through technical means, such as VPNs, may be subject to heavy fines. As a matter of fact, it could impose fines of as high as 50,000 reais-about $8,900.
The suspension has sparked a wave of reactions across Brazil. Many citizens are showing exasperation and concern about what this might mean for freedom of expression and access to information. Social media platforms such as X play important roles in communication, news sharing, and social interaction. To many, this ban seems like a significant restriction on their opportunities for public discourse.
On the other hand, many Brazilians believe the court did not go too far. They say foreign companies should respect local legislation and regulations just like any other company in Brazil. This position underlines a growing feeling that no one-whether big or small-can be above accountability.
The conflict began months ago between Musk and de Moraes, after the latter ordered the suspension of various accounts of Bolsonaro supporters who were working against the election integrity of Brazil. The 2022 elections revealed the presidency of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and have since been marred by accusation and investigations over a possible coup by the former leader Jair Bolsonaro.
That did not go down lightly with Musk’s X platform. This company even used the term “censorship” and closed its offices in Brazil. Musk went to the extent of calling de Moraes an “evil dictator cosplaying as a judge” and said he had risked democracy in Brazil. Musk’s response underlines a growing tension between social media platforms and governmental authorities over the control of information.
The financial implications of the ban are high, apart from affecting the users. Moraes has already ordered a freeze of the financial assets of Musk’s satellite internet network, Starlink, which is already rapidly expanding in Brazil. The suspension will continue until X complies with all court orders, including paying fines amounting to 18.5 million reais ($3.28 million) that were slapped on the platform earlier over ignoring judicial directives.
Judge Moraes made his intentions clear: the fact that X had allowed the proliferation of disinformation and hate speech-a situation that would not be tolerated under his watch “as a threat to democracy” in Brazil-simply could not persist. “Whoever attempts against democracy, against human rights, in person or via social media, shall be brought to justice,” he stated categorically.
But Elon Musk thinks otherwise. In a series of posts on X, he accused Moraes of abusing his powers and trying to bring down democracy in Brazil. “Free speech is bedrock of democracy,” Musk wrote, referring to Moraes as an “evil dictator cosplaying as a judge.”
X isn’t the first social media to find itself in court in Brazil. The country has taken tech giants to court before regarding a failure to comply with local regulations. Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, and Instagram have been involved in various legal disputes concerning the dissemination of misinformation, hate speech, and content moderation.
These incidents have brought to light the eternal tug-of-war between global tech companies and national governments over questions of compliance, regulation, and digital rights. What Brazil did against X is part of a global trend where governments increasingly exert their authority over online platforms, which often brings them into conflict over balancing regulation with freedom of expression.
