Brazil’s Supreme Court on Monday affirmed the suspension of Elon Musk’s X social network, upholding Judge Alexandre de Moraes’s decision over alleged judicial transgressions.
Access to the platform, formerly known as Twitter, has been blocked in Brazil since Saturday morning, following Moraes’s order. The suspension was confirmed during a virtual session where five Supreme Court judges, including Moraes, voted in favor.
The conflict arose after Musk failed to comply with an order to appoint a new legal representative for X in Brazil—a requirement the company has challenged.
Moraes and Musk have been involved in an ongoing dispute, with the judge emphasizing the fight against disinformation and Musk advocating for free speech. In his ruling, Moraes stated, “Elon Musk demonstrated his total disrespect for Brazilian sovereignty and, in particular, the judiciary.”
Justice Flavio Dino added, “Freedom of expression does not excuse repeated violations of the legal system.”
Musk, who also owns Tesla and SpaceX, reacted strongly to the suspension, expressing his opposition to Moraes’s actions.
The standoff began when Moraes ordered the suspension of several X accounts associated with supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro. In April, Moraes initiated an investigation related to the reactivation of some banned accounts.
In August, X announced the closure of its offices in Brazil due to ongoing legal challenges but assured users they would maintain access to its services. Until the suspension, X had approximately 22 million users in Brazil, according to DataReportal.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
