Brazil began blocking Elon Musk’s social media platform X early Saturday, making it largely inaccessible on both the web and mobile apps after Musk refused to appoint a legal representative to the country.
This action intensifies a feud that has been ongoing for months between Musk and a Brazilian Supreme Court justice regarding free speech, far-right accounts, and misinformation. Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the suspension on Friday.
To enforce the block, Brazil’s telecommunications regulator, Anatel, instructed internet service providers to suspend user access to the social media platform. As of shortly after midnight local time on Saturday, major operators had started to comply.
‘Musk showed disregard for Brazilian sovereignty’
De Moraes had warned Musk on Wednesday night that X could be blocked in Brazil if he did not comply with the order to name a representative, giving a 24-hour deadline. The company has not had a representative in the country since earlier this month.
In his decision on Friday, de Moraes stated that Musk demonstrated complete disregard for Brazilian sovereignty and the judiciary, considering himself a supranational entity exempt from the laws of individual countries.
The justice indicated that the platform would remain suspended until his orders were followed, and he imposed a daily fine of 50,000 reais ($8,900) for individuals or companies using VPNs to access it.
Read More: Why Has Germany Deported 28 Afghan Nationals For First Time Since Taliban Takeover
Brazil enforcing censorship
In a subsequent ruling, he modified his original decision, withdrawing the 5-day deadline for internet service providers themselves — in addition to the telecommunications regulator — to block access to X, and also his order for app stores to remove virtual private networks, or VPNs.
Brazil is one of the largest markets for X, which has faced challenges due to the loss of advertisers since Musk acquired the former Twitter in 2022. According to market research group Emarketer, around 40 million Brazilians, or roughly one-fifth of the population, access X at least once per month.
X’s CEO Linda Yaccarino expressed that it was a sad day for X users globally, especially those in Brazil, who were being denied access to the platform. She stated that she wished it hadn’t come to this and found it heartbreaking. Yaccarino also mentioned that Brazil was failing to uphold its constitution’s pledge to forbid censorship.
Late Thursday, X posted on its official Global Government Affairs page that it expected to be shut down by de Moraes, claiming this was due to their refusal to comply with his orders to censor his political opponents, which they deemed illegal.
The company further reported that when they attempted to defend themselves in court, Judge de Moraes threatened to imprison their Brazilian legal representative. Even after her resignation, de Moraes froze all of her bank accounts.
Is X trying to avoid law in Brazil?
X has had conflicts with de Moraes over its reluctance to follow orders to block users. The platform has previously shut down accounts on Brazilian orders, including those of lawmakers affiliated with former President Jair Bolsonaro’s right-wing party and activists accused of undermining Brazilian democracy. X’s lawyers informed the Supreme Court in April that since 2019, they had suspended or blocked 226 users.
In his decision on Friday, de Moraes cited statements made by Musk as evidence that X’s actions seemed intended to promote extremism, hate speech, and anti-democratic discourse, while avoiding jurisdictional control.
In April, de Moraes targeted Musk in an ongoing investigation over the dissemination of fake news and opened another investigation into the executive for alleged obstruction.
Musk and Brazil’s political right on same page
Musk, who identifies as a “free speech absolutist,” has repeatedly argued that the justice’s actions amount to censorship, a sentiment echoed by Brazil’s political right. He has also frequently insulted de Moraes on his platform, describing him as a dictator and tyrant.
Supporters of de Moraes have stated that his actions towards X were lawful, backed by most of the court’s full bench, and served to protect democracy, especially during a time when it is under threat. De Moraes wrote on Friday that his ruling was based on Brazilian law, which requires internet service companies to have representation in the country to be notified of relevant court decisions and take necessary actions, such as removing illicit content posted by users and addressing anticipated misinformation during the October municipal elections.
Social Media shutdowns not new to Brazil
The potential shutdown is not unprecedented in Brazil. In 2015 and 2016, lone Brazilian judges shut down Meta’s WhatsApp multiple times due to the company’s refusal to comply with police requests for user data. In 2022, de Moraes threatened to shut down the messaging app Telegram nationwide, arguing it had ignored Brazilian authorities’ requests to block profiles and provide information. He ordered Telegram to appoint a local representative, which the company eventually did, allowing it to remain operational.
X and its former version, Twitter, have been banned in several countries, mainly authoritarian regimes such as Russia, China, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Venezuela, and Turkmenistan. In addition, countries like Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt have also temporarily suspended X in the past, often to suppress dissent and unrest. Twitter was banned in Egypt following the Arab Spring uprisings, which were sometimes called the “Twitter revolution,” but access has since been restored.
Brazilian users turn to VPN
A search conducted on X on Friday revealed hundreds of Brazilian users asking about VPNs that could potentially allow them to keep using the platform by making it appear as if they were accessing it from outside the country. It was not immediately clear how Brazilian authorities would enforce this and impose the fines mentioned by de Moraes.
On Thursday evening, Starlink, Musk’s satellite internet service provider, announced on X that de Moraes had frozen its finances this week, preventing it from conducting any transactions in Brazil, where it has over 250,000 customers.
Starlink stated that the order is based on an unfounded decision that Starlink should be responsible for the fines imposed—unconstitutionally—on X. The order was issued secretly and without giving Starlink the due process guaranteed by the Brazilian Constitution. The company intends to address the issue through legal means.
Musk to provide free internet service in Brazil
Musk responded to those sharing news of the freeze by adding insults directed at de Moraes, stating that de Moraes is a criminal of the worst kind pretending to be a judge.
Musk later posted on X that SpaceX, which operates Starlink, will provide free internet service in Brazil “until the matter is resolved,” as they cannot receive payment but do not wish to disconnect anyone.
In his decision, de Moraes explained that he ordered the freezing of Starlink’s assets because X did not have sufficient funds in its accounts to cover the accumulating fines, arguing that the two companies are part of the same economic group.
Also Read: Japan’s Solitary Deaths: Nearly 40,000 People Died Home Alone This Year
