Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered an immediate nationwide ban on X (formerly known as Twitter). The ban stems from the company’s refusal to comply with the government’s demands to appoint a legal representative in the country and take responsibility for content moderation.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes directed internet providers to block access to X, impacting the social media platform’s vast user base in Brazil. The move follows the closure of X’s Brazil office last week, prompted by Moraes’ threat of arrests for defying his orders to remove accounts deemed to be in violation of Brazilian laws.
Musk has responded defiantly, labeling the court’s actions illegal and vowing to publish the sealed legal orders. He accused Justice Moraes, an unelected official, of undermining democracy for political reasons.
In an unprecedented move, Justice Moraes also declared that individuals using VPNs to circumvent the X ban would face daily fines of nearly $9,000. Additionally, he froze the finances of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite-internet service, another Musk venture, in an attempt to collect $3 million in fines imposed on X.
Starlink, which has gained significant popularity in Brazil with over 250,000 customers, has pledged to fight the order and even offer its service for free in Brazil if necessary.
