Brazil’s telecommunications regulator announced on Friday that it is moving to suspend access to Elon Musk’s X platform, formerly known as Twitter, following a court order from Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. This suspension was triggered after X missed a deadline to appoint a legal representative in Brazil, as required by law.
Musk has fiercely opposed the court’s ruling, accusing Justice Moraes of attempting to enforce unjustified censorship. Moraes, however, has maintained that regulation is necessary to curb hate speech on social media platforms. The judge’s decision is the latest development in a prolonged dispute with Musk, which has now escalated to the point of a potential shutdown of X in one of its largest markets.
Despite the court order, X remained accessible in Brazil late on Friday. Some users, however, reported that their access had already been blocked by local telecommunications carriers, which planned to fully enforce the suspension by midnight.
In addition to the suspension, the court also froze the bank accounts of Musk’s satellite internet provider, Starlink, in Brazil. The judge has ordered X to pay more than $3 million in fines and to comply with other legal mandates before service can be restored in the country. Telecommunications regulator Anatel has been tasked with implementing the suspension, which will require telecommunication companies to block X’s traffic and prevent users from bypassing the ban using virtual private networks (VPNs). Moraes warned that those who continued to access X via VPNs could face daily fines of up to 50,000 reais (around $9,000).
While Apple and Google were initially ordered to remove X from their app stores and implement anti-VPN measures, Justice Moraes later reversed this part of the order. Both companies declined to comment.
Brazil’s Supreme Court judges wield considerable power to make unilateral decisions, and in this case, Moraes’ stance has been supported by a majority of the 11-member court. The roots of the conflict trace back to a previous Moraes order demanding X block accounts accused of spreading misinformation and hate speech, which Musk criticized as censorship. Although Musk closed X’s offices in Brazil in response, he has continued to make the platform available to users in the country.
Musk, who also owns 40% of SpaceX and leads electric vehicle giant Tesla, derided Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as Moraes’ “lapdog,” further heightening tensions. President Lula responded firmly, stating that all companies, regardless of their wealth or influence, must comply with Brazilian law.
The situation remains tense as Brazil pushes for compliance from Musk’s ventures, with no signs of backing down from the court or government.