Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has mandated the nationwide suspension of the social media platform X after the company failed to comply with legal requirements in the country.
Justice de Moraes ordered the platform, owned by Elon Musk, to cease operations after it refused to appoint a legal representative in Brazil.
The conflict between X and the Brazilian judiciary has been ongoing, with tensions escalating when the platform shut down its Brazil office on 17 August.
The closure was reportedly due to concerns over potential legal actions against its former representative in the country.
Despite the court’s demand, X declined to designate a new legal representative within the 24-hour deadline issued by de Moraes.
X’s non-compliance with several court orders, particularly those aimed at removing accounts that disseminate content advocating for anti-democratic activities and coups, has exacerbated the situation.
This ongoing defiance led the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court (STF) to impose fines totaling 18 million reais (approximately $3.2 million) on the platform for failing to adhere to its directives.
Justice de Moraes justified the platform’s blocking by citing its consistent disregard for Brazilian law, accusing X of fostering an environment that allows extremist groups to operate unchecked.
He expressed particular concern about the platform’s role in enabling the spread of dangerous ideologies, including Nazi, racist, and fascist content, especially with the 2024 municipal elections on the horizon.
In addition to the nationwide ban, Justice de Moraes directed Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) to enforce the block within 24 hours.
Major tech companies, Apple and Google, were also given a five-day window to remove the X app from their respective online stores.
The ruling further imposes a daily fine of 50,000 reais (around $10,000) on any entities or individuals attempting to access X through alternative methods such as VPNs.
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