Elon Musk has once again intervened in Brazil following the suspension of the social network X (formerly Twitter) in the country. After the Brazilian Supreme Court unanimously upheld the platform’s ban, Musk reacted vehemently, threatening to exercise “reciprocity” towards the Brazilian government.
It all started last April, when Judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered the suspension of dozens of X accounts for allegedly spreading disinformation. Musk, who bought Twitter in 2022, accused the magistrate of acting as a “self-proclaimed judge” and of “destroying freedom of expression for political purposes.” Refusing to comply with the Brazilian justice system’s injunctions, X eventually closed its office in the country, claiming that its representative had been threatened with arrest.
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On September 2, as the Supreme Court upheld X’s ban in Brazil, Musk posted a message in Portuguese on his account, proclaiming “Long live democracy! Long live free Brazil!”
Viva a Democracia! Viva o Brasil Livre! 🇧🇷
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 2, 2024
According to the judges, X was suspended for failing to appoint a legal representative in the country and evading court orders. The social network was also ordered to pay fines, which now exceed $3 million. In addition, the court ordered companies such as Apple and Google to remove X from their app stores, or face sanctions.
Faced with this escalation, Musk has threatened to take reciprocal action against the Brazilian government. He argues that the judge in question should himself be brought to justice. “It’s only a matter of time before this criminal is behind bars,” he said of Judge Moraes.
De Moraes deserves prison for his crimes https://t.co/8ECAlfqO2J
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 2, 2024
