Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has set a stringent deadline for Elon Musk, the owner of the social network X, and its CEO Linda Yaccarino, to appoint a local legal representative for the platform in Brazil. The ultimatum was clear: do so within 24 hours or see the social network suspended in the nation. This directive came to light following a court ruling on Wednesday.
Moraes ordered X to block certain accounts critical of the government and remove specific posts it accused of spreading “misinformation” related to Brazil’s electronic voting system and promoting “hate speech.” The targeted accounts were often associated with supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro and were linked to investigations into what the court described as “digital militias” accused of disseminating false information.
Additionally, some profiles were connected to the January 8, 2023 riot, where Bolsonaro supporters stormed key government buildings in protest.
The confrontation between Brazilian authorities and X has intensified this month, with the platform announcing that it would shutter its Brazilian operations and lay off local staff after Moraes threatened to arrest X staff in the country if the platform didn’t cave to its censorship demands.
Despite X shutting down its operations in the region, X said that it would continue to allow Brazilian citizens to access the website.
The Justice’s decision, ironically shared on the Supreme Court’s own X account, emphasized the potential for a national block of X should the platform continue to ignore demands.
By enforcing these strict measures, the Brazilian judiciary is accused of using the guise of combating “misinformation” and “hate speech” to suppress dissenting voices.
This censorship not only undermines the values of free expression but also raises concerns about the impartiality of legal measures taken under the pretext of law and order. It’s particularly troubling that these measures target digital platforms, crucial arenas for modern public discourse and political activism.
The ultimatum to shut down or radically alter the operation of a major social network like X if it fails to comply with these demands signals an overreach that could isolate Brazil from the global digital community. Such aggressive censorship discourages platforms from operating within the country, which could deprive Brazilian citizens of access to multiple viewpoints and the global exchange of ideas.
