X (Twitter) blocked in Brazil before ban in France ?

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Since this weekend, the 22 million users of X (formerly Twitter) in Brazil can no longer connect. This is in no way a bug, but rather a blockage decided by the country's Justice. The recalcitrants who turn to VPNs are exposed to a hefty fine of $8,000. From then on, many of them open an account on Bluesky. The opportunity for us to recall the facts and see if such a ban is possible in France and Europe.

A fight between Elon Musk and the Brazilian justice system

The judge of the Brazilian Supreme Court, Alexandre de Moraes, has ruled. After several months of tension with the platform and Elon Musk himself, he ordered the blocking of X in the country. Above all, he accuses the service of spreading disinformation. These accusations are based in particular on an investigation into a potential coup attempt by Jair Bolsonaro in 2023. Figures supporting the former president have been reinstated on the social network by the Tesla boss in the name of freedom of expression.

Faced with this initiative, Judge de Moraes had already imposed fines on X. For his part, and far from giving up on this rehabilitation of far-right figures, Elon Musk on the contrary demanded the resignation of the magistrate.

As detailed by Le Figaro, the opposition rose another notch when Alexandre de Moraes ordered the freezing of Starlink's assets in Brazil in order to recover the fines not paid by X. Elon Musk then decided to close his offices in the country. The judge then issued a 24-hour ultimatum under penalty of a ban. In the absence of acceptance from the billionaire, X has finally been blocked since Friday, August 30.

A blockage that could last

X is banned for an undefined period of time in Brazil. In short, if the company pays its fines and agrees to comply with the law, the service will be restored, but if not, it could drag on forever.

Brazil is far from being the only country where the social network is banned. The list is long: Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela… Other states have suspended the platform in the past before reinstating it. This is the case in Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt.

And in Europe?

The Brazilian case leads us to question the European Union, where formal infringement proceedings have been opened against unknown parties, particularly for moderation efforts deemed insufficient. Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), an in-depth investigation can lead to sanctions that can result in fines of up to 6% of a company's global turnover, or even a ban on access to the EU.

However, we are not there yet. This is only a last resort and is only provided for in the event of a repeat offence. Moreover, such a decision is not only legal, but also political and there is no doubt that the debate on this subject would be heated within the Member States.

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