Brazil’s Supreme Court is set to vote on Monday to determine whether a recent ruling to ban the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, will be upheld. The vote, initiated by Justice Alexandre Moraes, follows the platform’s suspension in the early hours of Saturday.
The suspension was enforced after X failed to appoint a new legal representative in Brazil by a court-imposed deadline. This situation escalates a feud between Justice Moraes and X’s owner, Elon Musk, which began in April when the judge ordered the suspension of several accounts for allegedly disseminating disinformation.
Brazil’s Supreme Court consists of 11 justices, divided into two chambers of five members each, excluding the chief justice. These chambers are responsible for voting on whether to uphold or overturn rulings made by individual judges. Justice Moraes, a member of the first chamber, will be reviewing his own decision to ban X.
Elon Musk reacted strongly to the decision, stating, “Free speech is the bedrock of democracy, and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes.”
Justice Moraes’ ruling also imposed a five-day deadline on companies such as Apple and Google to remove X from their app stores and to block its use on iOS and Android devices. Furthermore, individuals or businesses that continue to access X through virtual private networks (VPNs) risk facing fines of R$50,000 ($8,910; £6,780).
X recently closed its office in Brazil, citing threats of arrest against its representative if she did not comply with orders the platform described as “censorship,” which it argues is illegal under Brazilian law. The dispute centers on X accounts accused of spreading disinformation, many of which are linked to supporters of former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro and are currently under investigation.
Brazil is considered one of the largest markets for Musk’s social media platform, making this ruling particularly significant in the ongoing debate over free speech and regulation in digital spaces.
