A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has ordered the immediate suspension of X in the country, escalating a public feud with owner Elon Musk.
Alexandre de Moraes announced the decision on Friday after a deadline passed for the company to name a legal representative in the South American country.
De Moraes had warned Musk about the potential decision this week, but Musk has seemingly refused to comply, instead launching attacks against the judge in his social media platform. "Alexandre de Moraes is an evil dictator cosplaying as a judge," reads Musk's pinned publication on X.
Alexandre de Moraes is an evil dictator cosplaying as a judge. https://t.co/ZIV8KbDCmk
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 30, 2024
De Moraes has said the platform will continue to be blocked until the company complies with the request. The spat follows Elon Musk's decision to close the company's operations in the country over what he described as the judge's "censorship orders." The mogul has also accused the judge of being a "dictator" and threatening to jail his employees.
The conflict has been going on for years and began when the Brazilian Supreme Court took action against several accounts tied to the country's right-wing movement, particularly those linked to former president Jair Bolsonaro.
De Moraes ordered accounts be blocked for attempting to discredit the country's electoral system and process, part of Bolsonaro's effort to overturn the 2022 presidential elections he ultimately lost against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
X did not fully comply with the orders, leading the judge to intensify the pressure on the platform. Musk is also being investigated in the country for defying the court's orders, alleged obstruction of justice.
Back in April, X's account tracking relations with global government affairs said that the platform had been "forced by court decisions to block certain popular accounts in Brazil" and taken said action.
"We do not know the reasons these blocking orders have been issued. We do not know which posts are alleged to violate the law. We are prohibited from saying which court or judge issued the order, or on what grounds. We are threatened with daily fines if we fail to comply," read a passage of the post.
However, Musk then stepped in and criticized de Moraes for "brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil." He added that the justice should "resign or be impeached" and vowed to reinstate all accounts and lift all restrictions.
The feud has not gone unnoticed, and even President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva discussed the issue. In an interview on Friday, Lula asked Musk to take "a different attitude," saying that "any citizen from anywhere in the world who has investments in Brazil has to abide by the Constitution and Brazilian laws." He added that not because of his wealth he can "disrespect" and "offend" Brazilian authorities.
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