Led by Judge Alexandre de Moraes, the Brazilian Supreme Court has unanimously agreed to uphold the ban on the social media platform X. The ban, first initiated by Moraes, was due to a missed court-imposed deadline to name a legal representative in Brazil and unpaid fines.
In addition to the ban, the Brazilian Court also ruled that individuals or businesses found to be accessing X by using virtual private networks (VPNs) will be prosecuted and fined heavily. Typically, VPNs can be used to mask your IP address and access unblocked geo-restricted streaming content, in this case, the X platform.
Brazil's Crackdown on Misinformation
Several months before the ban, Brazilian authorities began ordering the suspension of dozens of X accounts deemed to be spreading misinformation and hate speech. Judge Moraes ordered the accounts to be blocked until further investigation. If the accounts were to be reactivated, the legal representative for X would be held liable. Unsurprisingly, just before the ban, the Brazilian X offices were closed, and the legal representative likewise abandoned their position.
Free Speech Concerns
The ban has been criticized by Elon Musk and other free speech advocates, who argue that it silences the user's freedom of expression and speech. Since Musk's takeover of the platform previously known as Twitter, Musk has made it a top priority to loosen any deemed censorship. Most notable examples include eliminating previous content moderation policies and reinstating previously permanently banned accounts.
Future Developments
Following the ban decision, Brazilian authorities notified telecommunication providers to block access to X. Additionally, Apple and Google have been ordered to remove X from their respective app stores.
Meanwhile, Musk has remained defiant, and his satellite internet company, Starlink, was initially reported to be not following the order to block X in Brazil. In turn, Moraes had ordered Starlink's bank accounts to be frozen if the orders were not followed. As of today, Starlink has backed down from its bold stance against Brazilian authorities and agreed to block X.
Looking ahead, it does not seem that either Moraes or Musk can agree on this matter and find any common ground. Both parties do not seem interested in any compromise. With that said, the estimated 20 million Brazilian users on X will most likely look elsewhere for their social media needs.
Not surprisingly, Musk has also recently clashed with EU leaders about their new social media law, which is designed to clamp down on disinformation, hate speech, and illegal content. Musk has also bumped heads with UK officials by seemingly fueling unrest and disorder related to recent events in England. Perhaps X may be banned in more countries at this rate. Stay tuned.
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