Social media platform X may soon shut down in Brazil if the country’s Supreme Court enforces its warning. The potential closure follows a prolonged dispute between X’s owner Elon Musk and Brazil’s Chief Justice Alexandre de Moraes over social media regulations and censorship.
X’s Global Government Affairs account stated in a post that it anticipates de Moraes will close down the social media site in Brazil “simply because we would not comply with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents.”
“Justice de Moraes threatened our Brazilian legal representative with imprisonment,” the post continued. “Even after she resigned, he froze all of her bank accounts.”
Musk criticized de Moraes on X Thursday, Aug. 29, labeling the judge an “evil dictator cosplaying as a judge.”
Under Brazilian law, social media platforms and foreign companies must appoint a local representative to operate within the nation. Currently, X lacks such a representative since Musk withdrew all employees from Brazil following threats of incarceration from Justice de Moraes.
The Brazilian Supreme Court issued an ultimatum on Wednesday, giving the social media platform 24 hours to appoint a representative or face suspension.
The conflict originated when Justice de Moraes spearheaded investigations into what he describes as “digital militias” accused of disseminating disinformation. These investigations led to Brazilian officials suspending the accounts of several high-profile individuals.
In retaliation, Musk announced he would reactivate those accounts, which resulted in a criminal inquiry against him.
Furthermore, Justice de Moraes blocked another one of Musk’s businesses’ financial activities. He is preventing Starlink from conducting business in Latin America’s largest economy.
“Many remote schools and hospitals rely on SpaceX’s Starlink!” Musk posted on X in response. “SpaceX will provide internet service to users in Brazil for free until this matter is resolved since we cannot receive payment but don’t want to cut anyone off.”
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