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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva conveyed on Friday the necessity for billionaire Elon Musk to adhere to the directives issued by the Brazilian Supreme Court, amidst a contentious situation that risks the shutdown of the social media platform X within the country.
As of Friday morning, X continued to operate as usual in Brazil. However, the platform hinted on Thursday that it anticipates a mandate from Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes to cease operations “soon,” following the expiration of a 24-hour judge-imposed deadline for X to designate a legal representative in Brazil.
“Every individual worldwide who invests in Brazil must comply with Brazilian laws and the Constitution,” Lula stated during a discussion with a local radio station. He emphasized that financial wealth does not exempt anyone from legal accountability.
In response, Musk labeled Lula a “lapdog” of Moraes on X, where he also referred to the justice as a “dictator.”
According to Brazilian internet regulations, social media platforms are required to maintain a local representative within the country. For X to be banned from Brazil, Justice Moraes must instruct telecommunication providers to halt data traffic associated with the platform. Nevertheless, users could still access X via VPNs.
X has functioned without a legal representative in Brazil since August 17, when the platform announced an immediate cessation of its operations, citing “censorship orders” from Moraes.
Starlink Bank Accounts Frozen
As the dispute surrounding X escalated, the court also froze the local bank accounts of Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service. A source indicated to Reuters that this action is linked to the absence of legal representatives for X in Brazil.
Musk expressed his discontent with this ruling on X, asserting that it was illegal and unfairly penalized shareholders and everyday Brazilians. He also stated that SpaceX, Starlink’s parent company, would offer complimentary internet services to Brazilian users “until this matter is resolved.”
The ongoing legal skirmish could threaten X’s presence in a key market, particularly as Musk faces challenges in garnering advertising revenue for the platform.
Origins of the Conflict: Censorship and Allegations
The roots of this conflict can be traced back to last spring when Justice Moraes mandated that X block specific accounts as part of an investigation into digital militias accused of distributing misinformation and hate speech during the presidency of far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro.
Following Musk’s pushback against this ruling and his decision to reactivate previously blocked accounts, Moraes initiated an inquiry into Musk’s enterprises in April. Eventually, representatives from X confirmed to the Supreme Court their commitment to comply with the judicial orders. Nevertheless, in a later session, Moraes expressed concern over X’s partial compliance with the orders.
In their defense, lawyers for X pointed to “operational faults” that permitted some blocked users to remain active on the platform.
Recently, tensions heightened when Musk announced the suspension of the company’s operations in Brazil, contending that Moraes had covertly threatened one of the company’s legal representatives with arrest if it did not conform to directives to remove certain content.
As it stands, the fate of X in Brazil remains uncertain. The platform is extensively utilized in the country and serves as a significant communication channel for politicians.
Public sentiment regarding the ongoing dispute is polarized. Some users on X have echoed Musk’s criticisms of the judge, alleging that his actions threaten freedom of expression in Brazil, while others support the judicial perspective that Musk should not evade Brazilian legal statutes.
Source
www.cbc.ca