Brazilian court issues nationwide ban on social media platform X
(MENAFN) On Friday, Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued a nationwide ban on the social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk, due to the company's refusal to appoint a legal representative in Brazil. The court's order came after X's Brazilian office was shut down on August 17, following threats against its former legal representative. De Moraes had previously given X a 24-hour deadline to designate a representative, but the company did not comply.
This latest action marks an escalation in a prolonged conflict between X and the Brazilian judiciary. The company has faced criticism for not adhering to court orders aimed at removing profiles that promote coup-related content or undermine democratic processes. The Brazilian Supreme Federal Court (STF) has also imposed fines totaling 18 million reais (about 3.2 million U.S. dollars) for X’s non-compliance.
Justice de Moraes justified the ban by citing X’s persistent defiance of court orders and its failure to pay daily fines, accusing the company of trying to circumvent Brazil's legal system. The judge emphasized that X has facilitated extremist groups and digital militias, exacerbating the spread of harmful and anti-democratic content, particularly in the run-up to the 2024 municipal elections.
In addition to blocking access to X, de Moraes instructed Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) to implement the ban within 24 hours. Apple and Google have been given a five-day deadline to remove the X app from their stores. A daily fine of 50,000 reais (about 10,000 U.S. dollars) will be imposed on anyone who uses methods such as VPNs to circumvent the ban and access X.
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