Brazil’s X ban shows the world ‘isn’t obliged to put up with Elon Musk’s far-right free-for-all’, says country’s president

Brazil’s ban on X shows the world “is not obliged to tolerate Elon Musk’s far-right practices,” the country’s president said.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told CNN Brasil he hopes the crisis surrounding X in Brazil — one of the platform’s largest global markets — will teach the world that we don’t have to tolerate Musk’s antics “just because he’s rich.”

Brazil’s Supreme Court on Friday imposed a nationwide blockade on X after Musk refused to appoint a legal representative for the country, and voted unanimously on Monday to uphold the ban on X.

Musk’s company also refused to comply with a court order to shut down X profiles, which were accused of spreading fake news. This happened before X was banned in Brazil.

However, the ban has angered supporters of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who took to the streets to protest on Saturday.

Musk, who has previously aligned himself with Bolsonaro’s positions, shared an invitation to the march on X, which calls on Brazilians to “march for freedom, protest judicial abuse and defend freedom of expression.”

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (pictured) told CNN Brasil he hopes the crisis surrounding X in Brazil — one of the platform’s largest global markets — can teach the world it no longer has to tolerate Musk’s antics “just because he’s rich.”

Internet providers across Brazil, home to 215 million people and one of X’s largest markets, blocked the platform completely on Saturday, and the country’s main news sites stopped posting at the same time.

One of the Supreme Court justices responsible for the ban, Alexandre de Moraes, 55, and Musk have long been locked in a conflict over freedom of expression, far-right speech and disinformation. The new ban is the result of escalating tensions.

On Monday, Musk shared an invitation for Saturday’s march, claiming that protesters would “flood” the streets of São Paulo to call for Moraes’ ouster.

Internet providers across Brazil, home to 215 million people and one of X’s largest markets, blocked the platform entirely on Saturday, while the country’s major news sites stopped posting.

Musk was furious with X after the ban, saying: “The tyrant Voldemort is undermining the people’s right to free speech.” He compared Voldemort to the evil wizard from the Harry Potter series.

De Moraes said X would remain suspended until it complied with orders to close the profiles and appoint a legal representative. He also imposed a daily fine of £6,790 for individuals or companies using virtual private networks (VPNs) to access X.

The Brazilian Bar Association said in a statement on Friday that it will ask the Supreme Court to review the fines Moraes imposed on all citizens who use VPNs to access the platform.

“I have used VPNs extensively in authoritarian countries like China to maintain access to news sites and social networks,” Maurício Santoro, a political science professor at Rio de Janeiro State University, said on the platform before it was shut down.

“It never occurred to me that this kind of tool would be banned in Brazil. It’s dystopian.”

The battle between the two began to escalate earlier this year when Moraes demanded that users who posted clearly fake or inflammatory messages be blocked by X.

Moraes ordered the social media platform to block certain accounts involved in investigations into so-called “digital militias,” which are accused of spreading fake news and hate speech during the government of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Judge Alexandre de Moraes has ordered an immediate ban on X in Brazil, which took effect early on Saturday

An advertisement from media outlet Valor shows a photo of Elon Musk at a shopping mall in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. The sign reads in Portuguese: “Musk creates profile on X v Moraes to leak confidential Supreme Court decisions,” referring to Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes who ordered the platform blocked for not naming a local legal representative, as required by law.

After Musk appealed the decision and said he would reactivate the accounts on X that the judge had blocked, Moraes launched an investigation into the billionaire in early April.

Ultimately, representatives of X reversed their position and told the Supreme Court that the social media giant would abide by the legal rulings.

However, in April, Moraes asked X to explain why the company had allegedly not fully complied with his decisions and imposed fines of $20,000 per day for each account X reactivated.

Lawyers representing X in Brazil told the Supreme Court that there were “operational errors” that allowed blocked users to remain active on the social media platform.

Since then, the legal battle between the two has become increasingly tense. Last Wednesday, Moraes warned Musk that X would be banned if the company did not inform the Supreme Court who its legal representative in Brazil was.

The platform refused to do this.

On Thursday, Moraes also froze the assets of Brazil’s Starlink Holding, which Musk also owns, to ensure court-imposed fines were paid, multiple Brazilian media reported.

Tesla’s CEO responded to X by saying that Moraes was “an outright criminal of the worst kind, posing as a judge.”

In a separate message, he called the judge a “tyrant” and “dictator of Brazil,” adding that President Lula da Silva was his “lapdog.”

Hours after the judge’s ruling, Musk said in an interview with X that Moraes “has repeatedly violated the laws he is sworn to uphold.”

Moraes, who rarely gives interviews and has avoided mentioning Musk or X by name in his most recent statements on the subject, said Friday: “We have the right to defend fundamental rights.

“Those who violate democracy, who violate fundamental human rights, whether in person or through social media, must be held accountable.”