According to Cointelegraph, Brazil's Supreme Court has issued a warning to suspend Elon Musk's X social media platform by August 29, 2024, if a legal liaison is not appointed to represent the company in Brazil. This ultimatum follows nearly two weeks after X alleged that Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes threatened its legal representative in Brazil with arrest.
In response to these developments, X announced on August 17 that it would be closing its operations in Brazil, although the service would remain accessible to Brazilian users. The order from Moraes demands that Musk appoint a representative, escalating a months-long feud between Musk and Moraes.
Earlier this year, Musk criticized Moraes, accusing him of taking illegal measures to force censorship on the social media platform. Moraes argued that X was allowing and promoting misinformation, particularly targeting supporters of former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro, who lost a runoff election in 2022 to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, claimed the election was rigged. Despite his criticisms, Bolsonaro accepted the results and left the country.
In early 2023, Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings, demanding a reversal of the election results. Brazil's Supreme Court and Moraes blamed Bolsonaro for the unrest, leading to a ban on Bolsonaro running for public office until 2030. Supporters of Moraes and Lula claim they are defending democracy, while Bolsonaro supporters argue that the government is corrupt, highlighting the country's deep polarization.
The issue of online censorship by governments has gained attention, especially following the arrest of Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov in France. Durov's detainment drew international criticism, with French President Emmanuel Macron stating the arrest was not political. Although Durov was released, he faces charges related to the dissemination of illegal content online and must report to law enforcement officials twice a week, having posted a bail bond of 5 million euros.
