Brazil formally orders suspension of Elon Musk’s X amid legal dispute

A Supreme Court judge in Brazil has ordered the suspension of Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, for failing to comply with a directive to appoint a new legal representative, according to a court source.

The court has mandated that access to X be blocked throughout Brazil. The decision follows a protracted dispute between Musk and Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who has been at the forefront of efforts to combat disinformation in Brazil.

Musk’s company was given a 24-hour deadline to name a new legal representative, but failed to meet the requirement. In response, X issued a statement criticizing the judge’s orders as illegal and asserting that the platform would likely be shut down in Brazil as a result.

Despite the ruling, X remains accessible in Brazil, where it has a substantial user base of over 22 million, according to DataReportal. For the block to take effect, the Supreme Court must notify Brazil’s national telecommunications agency, though there has been no confirmation that this step has been completed.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva weighed in on the situation, emphasizing that international investors must adhere to Brazilian laws. “Who does (Musk) think he is?” Lula remarked in an interview with a local radio station.

The dispute began when Judge Moraes ordered the suspension of several X accounts linked to supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro. These accounts were involved in spreading disinformation regarding Brazil’s 2022 election, which Bolsonaro lost. The judge’s actions were part of a broader investigation into alleged coup attempts and disinformation campaigns related to Bolsonaro’s presidency.

Musk’s conflict with Moraes escalated when Moraes accused Musk of reactivating some of the banned accounts. In response, Musk criticized Moraes as an “evil dictator cosplaying as a judge” and accused him of undermining democracy in Brazil.

Earlier this month, Musk ceased X’s business operations in Brazil, alleging that Moraes had threatened to arrest the company’s previous legal representative to enforce censorship orders.

In a related development, Musk’s satellite internet service, Starlink, reported that it had received an order from Moraes freezing its finances in Brazil. Starlink, which operates in the Amazon region, challenged the order, claiming it was unfairly held responsible for fines against X.

Musk is also under investigation for alleged involvement in disinformation schemes supporting Bolsonaro. The case underscores ongoing debates about balancing content moderation with free speech in the digital age.