A recent decision by a Brazilian Supreme Court panel has confirmed the ruling of one of its justices to block billionaire Elon Musk’s social media platform X across the country. This decision, as stated on the court’s website, has garnered support from a majority of the justices, dealing a setback to Musk and his followers who have criticized Justice Alexandre de Moraes for his actions.
The panel, consisting of five justices from the full bench, including de Moraes, upheld the platform's block due to its failure to appoint a local legal representative, a requirement under Brazilian law. X will remain inaccessible until it complies with the court's orders and settles outstanding fines, which currently amount to over $3 million.
In addition to the platform block, de Moraes imposed a daily fine of 50,000 reais ($8,900) on individuals or entities using virtual private networks (VPNs) to access X. While some legal experts have raised concerns about the basis of this decision and its enforcement, the majority of the panel supported both the block and the VPN fine. One justice dissented on the VPN fine, suggesting it should only apply to users engaged in criminal activities on X.
Brazil stands as one of the largest markets for X, boasting tens of millions of users. The clash between Musk and de Moraes over issues of free speech, far-right content, and misinformation has escalated significantly with the recent court rulings.
