Brazil’s Supreme Court is set to make a crucial decision on Monday that could have far-reaching implications for social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The platform was suspended in the country in the early hours of Saturday, leading to a heated debate over freedom of speech and censorship.
Justice Alexandre Moraes called for the vote after X failed to appoint a new legal representative in Brazil before a court-imposed deadline. This move comes after a long-standing feud between Justice Moraes and X’s owner Elon Musk, which escalated in April when the judge ordered the suspension of dozens of X accounts for allegedly spreading disinformation.
The decision to ban X has sparked outrage from Mr. Musk, who stated, “Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes.” In response to the ruling, Justice Moraes gave companies like Apple and Google a five-day deadline to remove X from their app stores and block its use on iOS and Android devices.
X closed its office in Brazil last month, citing threats of arrest if its representative did not comply with what they described as “censorship” orders. The platform argued that such actions were illegal under Brazilian law. Justice Moraes had ordered the blocking of X accounts accused of spreading disinformation, many of which were supporters of former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro.
With Brazil being one of the largest markets for Mr. Musk’s social media network, the outcome of the Supreme Court’s vote will undoubtedly have significant implications for the future of online freedom of expression in the country. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
