The conflict between Elon Musk’s social media platform X and Brazilian authorities has reached new heights, with Musk’s satellite internet company Starlink refusing to comply with a court order to suspend X in Brazil. This defiance comes after Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the removal of profiles linked to far-right movements and blocked Starlink’s accounts to ensure payment of fines imposed on X.Musk has escalated his rhetoric against Brazilian authorities, accusing Justice de Moraes of ‘serious electoral interference’ in the 2022 presidential election. He claimed there is ‘growing evidence’ to support this accusation, though he did not present any concrete proof. Musk has also created a profile on X called ‘Alexandre Files’ to leak what he claims are secret decisions made by de Moraes against individuals freely publishing on the platform.The Brazilian government, including Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin, has defended the decision to ban X, stating that ‘it’s not because he’s a billionaire that he doesn’t need to comply with the law’. The Supreme Court is set to decide on Monday whether to confirm or reject the suspension of X in Brazil.As a result of the ban, alternative social media platforms have seen a surge in Brazilian users. Bluesky, a smaller online service, reported gaining one million new users in the past few days. This influx represents a significant portion of X’s estimated 20 million Brazilian users.The situation continues to evolve, with potential implications for freedom of speech, the power of tech companies, and the ability of governments to regulate social media platforms. As Starlink refuses to comply with the court order and Musk continues to challenge Brazilian authorities, the outcome of this conflict remains uncertain.
Key points
- Starlink has refused to comply with a Brazilian court order to suspend X in the country.
- Elon Musk has accused Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes of election interference.
- Alternative platforms like Bluesky have seen a surge in Brazilian users following the X ban.
- The Brazilian government defends the ban as necessary to combat disinformation and hate speech.
Contradictions👾While Musk claims to have evidence of election interference by Justice de Moraes, he has not presented any concrete proof to support this accusation.
