X Blocked In Brazil By Supreme Court Order

Uploaded on 2024-09-02 in TECHNOLOGY-Key Areas-Social Media, NEWS-Cybersecurity News, GOVERNMENT-National, FREE TO VIEW

The social media network X, formerly known as Twitter, is now blocked in Brazil following a court order. The order was implemented across the country on Saturday 30th August after the owner of X, Elon Musk, failed to meet a deadline to name a legal representative for the company in Brazil.

The shutdown affects more than 20 million Brazilians who use X, one of the biggest markets for the social media platform.

The decision comes after a months-long feud between a Supreme Court judge and X’s owner over censorship and disinformation with X is being accused of not stopping what can be said online.

The months-long row began with Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes in April ordering the suspension of dozens of X accounts for allegedly spreading disinformation. Brazilians who use the platform will now lose access to it and face hefty fines of up to 50,000 Reais ($9,000) per day if caught using an encrypted connection.

Despite the potential fines, large number of Brazilian users on X have resorted to using VPN services to continue accessing the platform, leading to a significant increase in demand for these tools. Researchers at VpnMentor noted an increase of 469% on the very first day hours after the blockade, reaching 1600% the next day.

The social media network closed its office in Brazil recently, saying its representative had been threatened with arrest if she did not comply with orders it described as "censorship". "We expect Judge Alexandre de Moraes will order X to be shut down in Brazil - simply because we would not comply with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents. These enemies include a duly elected Senator and a 16-year-old girl, among others,” X said in a post.

Elon Musk has threatened to reactivate the accounts, and has described Justice Moraes as a "tyrant" and a "dictator".

Justice Moraes gave X a deadline to name a new legal representative or face suspension, expiring on 30th August. The order requites the ban to remain remain in effect until X names a legal representative in the country and pays fines for alleged violations of Brazilian law. Justice Moraes had ordered that X accounts accused of spreading disinformation, many supporters of the former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro, must be blocked while they are under investigation. He said the company's legal representatives would be held liable if any accounts were reactivated.

Furthermore, the dispute has extended to other business that Musk controls, with the bank account for Elon Musk's satellite Internet firm Starlink frozen in Brazil following another order by the country's Supreme Court.

In 2022, the government of then-President Bolsonaro gave Starlink the green light to operate in Brazil.
As South America's largest country, Brazil and its remote regions in the Amazon have huge potential for Starlink, which specialises in providing Internet services to isolated areas. Starlink responded with a post on X which said the "order is based on an unfounded determination that Starlink should be responsible for the fines levied - unconstitutionally - against X." Musk said on X that "SpaceX and X are two completely different companies with different shareholders."

Elom Musk has become an increasingly controversial figure since he paid $44 billion to buy Twitter in 2022.

In Britain, he faces accusations by supporters of the newly elected Labour government of promoting fake news & hosting harmful content prior to recent anti-immigrant riots.

The EI he has been threatened with prosection for illegal and harmful content in connection with the US Presidential elections.

Last month in Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro issued an order to block X in an attempt to control the flow of information available to users in the country, spurring a big increase in VPN usage.

In India, he agreed with an order imposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take down accounts and posts related to a farmers’ protest that swept through the country in February.

X is not the first social media company to come under pressure from authorities in Brazil. Neither is X the only social media platform tp face court action. In 2023, Telegram was temporarily banned for not cooperating with demands to block certain profiles.

The founder and CEO of Telegram was arrested in France last week where he faces charges including the widespread promotion of criminality.

CNN | VPNMentor

Image: Ideogram

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