The escalating conflict between Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and Elon Musk has brought social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to the brink of being blocked in the country. The situation arose after Musk failed to comply with a court-imposed deadline to identify a legal representative in Brazil, a requirement under Brazilian internet laws.
Despite the looming threat of a shutdown, X was still operational in Brazil as of Friday morning. However, the platform acknowledged that it expected Moraes to issue a shutdown order “soon.” The legal standoff has drawn in President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who publicly criticized Musk for not respecting Brazilian law, emphasizing that no one, regardless of wealth, is above the law.
Musk, in turn, lashed out at Lula on social media, labeling the president as Moraes’ “lapdog” and calling the judge a “dictator.” Moraes, a key figure in Brazil’s judiciary, has been a vocal advocate for regulating social media to curb hate speech and protect democracy. While he has not provided a timeline for when he might block X, his stance has made it clear that he views accountability on social media as crucial.
Complicating matters further, the Brazilian Supreme Court has also frozen the local bank accounts of Starlink, a satellite internet service partially owned by Musk. Starlink plays a vital role in providing internet access to remote areas in Brazil, including isolated schools and hospitals. Musk has vowed that Starlink will continue to offer free services in Brazil until the situation is resolved and has accused the Brazilian government of illegally freezing the company’s accounts. The Brazilian military, which relies on Starlink for its operations, has warned that any disruption in service could have serious consequences.
If Moraes proceeds with blocking X, it would likely involve ordering telecommunication companies to stop carrying the platform’s traffic. However, users could potentially bypass this restriction using virtual private networks (VPNs). The outcome of this feud could have significant implications for both the future of social media in Brazil and the broader relationship between international tech companies and national regulations.
