Brazil Takes Action Against X After Judicial Directive
Musk Criticizes Judge's Censorship Ruling; Judge Defends Need for Hate Speech Controls

Brazil’s telecommunications regulator announced on Friday that it would suspend access to Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, in the country. This decision comes after X missed a court-imposed deadline to designate a legal representative in Brazil, leading to a suspension ordered by a judge with whom Musk has been in a prolonged conflict.
Musk has criticized Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, claiming the judge is imposing undue censorship. Moraes, however, has argued that regulations are necessary to address hate speech on social media.
“They’re shutting down the #1 source of truth in Brazil,” Musk wrote on X on Friday.
This ruling could impact X’s presence in one of its largest markets at a time when the platform is already struggling with advertising revenue. Although X was still accessible in Brazil as of late Friday, some users reported difficulties, and major telecommunications carriers indicated they would start blocking access at midnight (0300 GMT on Saturday), according to local news outlet UOL.
The dispute has also led to the freezing of Starlink’s bank accounts in Brazil this week. Starlink, part of Musk’s SpaceX, provides satellite internet services.
In his ruling, Moraes mandated that X, previously known as Twitter, be suspended in Brazil until it fulfills all court orders, including paying over $3 million in fines and appointing a local representative as required by Brazilian law. Moraes instructed Brazil’s telecommunications regulator, Anatel, to enforce the suspension.
To fully block X in Brazil, telecom companies would need to halt the network’s traffic and prevent users from bypassing the block with virtual private networks (VPNs). Moraes has also ordered fines of up to 50,000 reais ($9,000) per day for those who continue to access X through VPNs.
Initially, Moraes had directed tech giants Apple and Google to remove X from their app stores and implement anti-VPN measures. However, this part of the order was later rescinded.
Brazil’s Supreme Court judges, unlike those in many other countries, hold significant unilateral powers. Moraes’s stance has been supported by most of the court, including Chief Justice Roberto Barroso.
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Musk, who also leads Tesla in addition to owning X and a significant stake in SpaceX, has been vocal about the issue. He closed X’s offices in Brazil earlier this year in response to Moraes’s order to block accounts linked to misinformation and hate speech, but kept the platform operational in the country.
Starlink had requested the Supreme Court to lift the freeze on its bank accounts, arguing it had complied with judicial orders, but this request was denied on Friday.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has stated that all businesses must adhere to the country’s laws, regardless of their financial status. Musk criticized Lula as being aligned with Moraes, whom he labeled a “dictator.”
On Friday, Moraes reaffirmed his position, stating, “Those who violate democracy and fundamental human rights, whether personally or through social media, must be held accountable.”
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