Suspension of X
On Friday, a Brazilian Supreme Court justice ordered the “immediate suspension” of the social media platform X in Brazil, following the expiration of a court-imposed deadline for the company to appoint a legal representative in the country.
This suspension marks the latest development in an ongoing dispute between Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and Elon Musk, which has also involved significant legal and financial repercussions for Musk’s enterprises.
The court’s decision came after X, formerly known as Twitter, failed to comply with earlier court orders.
Justice de Moraes mandated that X must adhere to all court orders related to the platform, which includes settling fines amounting to 18.5 million reais (approximately $3.28 million) and appointing a legal representative based in Brazil.
The suspension will remain in effect until X fulfills these requirements. Justice de Moraes instructed Brazil’s telecommunications regulator, Anatel, to enforce the suspension and required confirmation of compliance within 24 hours.
In an effort to prevent individuals or companies from using virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass the suspension, de Moraes specified that violators could face fines of up to 50,000 reais (about $8,900) per day. This measure is intended to ensure that the suspension is effectively implemented and adhered to.
X had anticipated this action, as the platform’s representatives had indicated late on Thursday that a shutdown order from the Supreme Court justice was imminent.
The court-imposed deadline for X to identify a legal representative had expired without compliance, prompting the immediate suspension.
Earlier in the year, Justice de Moraes had instructed X to block specific accounts linked to investigations into digital militias accused of spreading misinformation and hate speech.
In response to these orders, Musk condemned the court’s actions as censorship and subsequently closed the platform’s offices in Brazil. Despite this, X asserted that its services would remain accessible in the country.
The dispute over X has also extended to other ventures of Musk in Brazil. The Supreme Court had previously blocked the local bank accounts of Starlink, a satellite internet provider partially owned by Musk, further complicating the situation.
On Friday, Starlink requested the court to suspend the blocking of its financial accounts, highlighting the ongoing legal and operational challenges faced by Musk’s businesses in Brazil.
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