X banned in Brazil for failing to meet disinformation standards

Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered the suspension of social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, after the company failed to comply with a judicial deadline to appoint a new legal representative in the country.

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes mandated the “immediate and complete suspension” of X until it adheres to all court orders and settles outstanding fines. The dispute originated in April when de Moraes ordered the suspension of dozens of X accounts allegedly spreading disinformation.

X owner Elon Musk criticised the decision, stating, “Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes.”

The platform, used by approximately 20 million Brazilians, closed its office in the country earlier this month, citing threats of arrest against its representative for non-compliance with what X described as “censorship” orders.

De Moraes has given technology companies, including Apple and Google, five days to remove X from their app stores and block its use on iOS and Android systems. Individuals or businesses using VPNs to access the platform could face fines of €8,000.

The ban will remain in effect until X names a new legal representative in Brazil and pays fines for violating Brazilian law. X had previously stated it would not comply with the demands, arguing that de Moraes’ orders were illegal under Brazilian law.

In a related development, Brazilian authorities have frozen the bank accounts of Musk’s satellite internet firm Starlink, following an earlier Supreme Court order.

De Moraes, who is also investigating former President Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters for their alleged roles in an attempted coup on 8 January 2023, has gained prominence for his decisions to restrict social media platforms in Brazil.

This is not the first instance of social media companies facing pressure from Brazilian authorities.

Telegram was temporarily banned last year, while Meta’s WhatsApp faced temporary bans in 2015 and 2016 for refusing to comply with police requests for user data.