In Brazil, the Internet service X, formerly Twitter, has been blocked by order of the Supreme Court. This has escalated a legal dispute between the Supreme Court and Elon Musk that has been going on for months. Judge Moraes opened an investigation against Musk in April and accused him of reactivating illegal accounts. Musk then accused the judge of censorship.
Brazil’s Supreme Court has blocked the internet service X in the country. The background is a dispute over freedom of expression and its limits on what is possible online. Judge Alexandre de Moraes had ordered that X must block the accounts of certain users who spread lies and misleading information. Many of these users are supporters of the former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and do not recognize his defeat in the 2022 election. Musk has refused to block the accounts and spoke of censorship and refused to pay the fines imposed. The tech billionaire also expressed fears that X’s legal representative in Brazil could be arrested. As a result, Musk announced that he would close the X office in Brazil to ensure the safety of employees, which then happened in mid-August.
Lorenz Meyer is a media critic, satirist and author.
Note: Comments generally represent the opinion of the commentators and do not automatically reflect the assessment of the editorial team.
