Elon Musk, Twitter and Brazil

Elon Musk Takes Steps to Restore Access to X in Brazil Amid Court Pressure

In a significant development, X, formerly known as Twitter, is poised to comply with the Brazilian Supreme Court’s directives to reinstate its services for the platform’s 21 million users in Brazil after a more than three-week blackout. The move comes amid escalating tensions between billionaire CEO Elon Musk and Brazil’s highest court.

On Friday, lawyers representing X informed the Supreme Court that the company had appointed legal counsel, fulfilling a crucial requirement for the social media platform to regain access in the important market. The following day, the court granted X an additional five days to finalize the necessary legal paperwork.

Throughout September, X has been largely inaccessible in Brazil, with users encountering messages indicating that “Posts aren’t loading right now.” The platform experienced a brief and unintentional return on September 18, during which the company expressed a newfound commitment to collaborating with the Brazilian government to restore service—marking a stark change in tone from earlier communications.

The ban on X went into effect on August 30, just hours after the account had issued political accusations against Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Musk had previously targeted de Moraes with numerous inflammatory comments, referring to him as “Brazil’s Voldemort” and “dictator,” and creating an X account focused on exposing alleged abuses of power.

For X to resume operations in Brazil, it must complete its legal representation paperwork, pay an estimated $1 million fine related to the brief service restoration, and demonstrate that all accounts identified by the court as problematic have been blocked.

The court’s orders to restrict specific X accounts stem from a 2020 decision by de Moraes, who found that these accounts were promoting hate speech and undermining democratic institutions. Many of the accounts in question were associated with supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s former far-right president, who was barred from running for office for eight years following a ruling that found him guilty of abusing power.

The ongoing legal dispute between X and the Brazilian court is part of a broader investigation into the proliferation of misinformation and hate speech online, particularly concerning unsubstantiated claims that Brazil’s 2022 presidential elections were compromised—a narrative reminiscent of similar unfounded claims made in the U.S. following the 2020 elections.

Despite initially complying with the court’s orders, X’s Global Affairs account later labeled the mandates as illegal and expressed concern over due process delays. Musk had suggested that he would consider reinstating the blocked accounts, stating that “principles matter more than profit.”

The conflict has extended beyond the courts, with Bolsonaro expressing his support for Musk and X during the platform’s temporary return. He described the court’s decision to block users as not just censorship but a “serious violation of fundamental rights.” In the U.S. Congress, Florida Representative Maria Elvira Salazar also brought attention to the Musk-de Moraes feud while proposing legislation aimed at holding foreign officials accountable for infringing upon the First Amendment rights of Americans.

As X navigates these challenges, the outcome of its legal and operational status in Brazil remains closely watched both domestically and internationally.

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