Photo: Kirill Kudryavtsev Agence France-Presse The “immediate, complete and integral suspension of the operation of “X Brasil Internet LTDA” on the national territory has been decided, according to the decision rendered by the judge.
Agence France-Presse in Brasília
Published yesterday at 17:54 Updated yesterday at 19:29
- Amériques
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge on Friday ordered the suspension of the social network X in Brazil within 24 hours, after a long standoff, provoking the anger of tycoon Elon Musk.
“Freedom of expression is the foundation of democracy and, in Brazil, an unelected pseudo-judge is destroying it because of political motivations,” the owner of the platform thundered on X.
This is the latest episode in the joust between Alexandre de Moraes, a judge of the Supreme Federal Court and a leading figure in the fight against disinformation in Brazil, and the American billionaire.
It comes just over a month before municipal elections that will allow us to gauge the balance of power between the camp of left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the right, which readily makes Elon Musk its champion.
Judge Moraes gave the platform 24 hours on Wednesday evening to appoint a legal representative in the country, or face blocking. X has 22 million users, according to estimates by the specialized website DataReportal.
After the social network rejected the ultimatum, the “immediate, complete and integral suspension of the operation of “X Brasil Internet LTDA” in the national territory” was decided, according to the decision issued by the judge.
The magistrate ordered the National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL) to “adopt all necessary measures” for the suspension to come into effect within 24 hours in Latin America’s largest country.
He also asked tech giants Google and Apple, as well as internet service providers, to “introduce technological obstacles capable of preventing the use of the X application” and access to the website.
And he threatened fines of 50,000 reais (about 12,000 Canadian dollars) per day for those who resort to “technological subterfuges” to circumvent the blockade, such as the use of virtual private networks, also known as VPNs.
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“Who does he think he is?”
Judge Moraes denounced X’s “attempt” to escape “the Brazilian legal order and judiciary, to establish a climate of total impunity and “anarchy” on Brazilian social networks, including during the 2024 municipal elections.”
The suspension must remain in force until the platform complies, pays the fines imposed on it and appoints a legal representative.
In a statement, ANATEL confirmed that it had been seized by the Supreme Court, adding that it would “implement” its decisions.
Judge Moraes also recently blocked the accounts of Starlink, a satellite internet service provider owned by Elon Musk, to recover the amount of fines not paid by X.
The businessman has increased his attacks on Alexandre de Moraes this week, calling him a “dictator.”
“Who does he think he is,” President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reacted Friday when referring to Elon Musk.
“Any citizen from any part of the world who has investments in Brazil is subject to the Brazilian Constitution and laws,” he said on local radio station MaisPB.
“Militias “digital”
On August 17, Elon Musk announced the closure of X's offices in Brazil, citing the actions of Judge Moraes, while leaving the service available there.
The top magistrate opened an investigation into the billionaire in April, accusing him of reactivating accounts suspended by order of the Brazilian courts. X had admitted that users had managed to circumvent the restrictions.
In recent years, the judge has ordered the blocking of accounts of influential figures in Brazil's ultra-conservative movements for disseminating “fake news.”
This is particularly true since the attempts by supporters of the former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022) to discredit the electronic voting system during the election won by Lula in 2022.
Elon Musk is also under investigation in Brazil in the “digital militia” case, suspected of using public money to orchestrate disinformation campaigns in favor of Mr. Bolsonaro and his associates.
As in other countries, X is highly prized in Brazil by politicians and journalists alike, and is a privileged arena for the intense polarization between the right and the left — including in the current municipal campaign.
In the past, platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp have been temporarily suspended in Brazil by court orders.