A judge from Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered the temporary shutdown of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) within the country. This decision was made when Elon Musk declined to select a legal representative for the company in Brazil.
As per an Associated Press article from August 30, Justice Alexandre de Moraes announced that he would cease X’s activities in Brazil unless Musk adhered to the court’s directive of appointing a legal representative by August 29. This order came in response to alleged illegal directives to censor political opponents.
It remains unclear what the next steps will be for X and its Brazilian users. Musk has publicly criticized Justice Moraes, calling him “evil” and a “dictator” for what he perceives as “illegal political censorship.” Moraes has been investigating X for allegedly allowing and promoting misinformation related to Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro.
At the time of this report, Brazilian X users indicated that they could still access the platform. However, the threat of a complete shutdown looms over the millions of Brazilians who rely on X for communication and information.
This development comes shortly after Starlink, a satellite internet company owned by SpaceX (also owned by Musk), reported that Justice Moraes had frozen its assets in Brazil. This adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing legal battle between Musk and the Brazilian government.