The social media app, X, (formerly Twitter), has been prohibited in Brazil after failing to meet a deadline set by a Supreme Court judge to identify a new legal representative in the country.
Incase you missed it, Alexandre de Moraes had called for an “immediate and complete suspension” of the social media microblogging platform until it adhered with all court orders and pays its outstanding fines.
Trouble had begun in April, with the judge calling for the suspension of dozens of X accounts for purportedly spreading disinformation.
What They’re Saying
Elon Musk had reacted to the ban saying:
“Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes.”
In addition, the head of Brazil’s telecommunications agency, who has been tasked with suspending the platform has said he is “proceeding with the compliance.”
X is expected to be unavailable in the country within the next 24 hours.
Justice Moraes has given companies such as Apple and Google a five-day deadline to bar X from its application stores and block its use on iOS and Android systems.
The Judge also said that people or businesses using alternatives such as VPNs (virtual private network) to access the platform could be fined R$50,000 (£6.7k), and that the ban will be in effect until X appoints a new legal representative in the country and pays fines for violating Brazilian law.
Moraes had also ordered that the X accounts accused of spreading disinformation (many of whom were supporters of the former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro) must be blocked while under investigation.
Finally, the Justice announced that the company’s legal representatives would be held liable if any accounts were reactivated.
X will not be the first social media company to come under pressure from Brazilian authorities.
In 2023, Telegram was temporarily banned over its failure to cooperate with official requests to block certain profiles.
Meta’s messaging service, Whatsapp, had also faced temporary bans in 2015 and 2016 for not complying with police requests for user data.
