- On Wednesday, Brazil’s Supreme Court announced that if Musk doesn’t present a legal representative for X within 24 hours, the platform will be banned.
- All tech companies are legally required to have a representative within the country. And given the tension between Musk and Justice Moraes, it’s more essential now than ever.
- This is the latest development in the Musk Vs Moraes feud that started with the latter ordering Musk to ban certain X accounts for spreading hate speech and false information.
Elon Musk’s X might be banned in Brazil. On Wednesday, the Brazilian Supreme Court ordered Musk to either name a legal representative for X in Brazil within 24 hours or get banned.
The decision comes from Justice Alexandre de Moraes who shared this information directly on X. As per the notice, Musk has until 8 pm (local time) August 29 to follow the orders to bear the consequences.
It’s important to note that this rule isn’t exclusive to X. By law, businesses are required to have a legal representative in Brazil in order to operate there. And it’s very strict about its laws.
- For instance, in 2022 when Telegram failed to respond to Brazil’s Supreme Court, Moraes began the process of banning the platform. It was reversed after Telegram responded.
- Similarly, WhatsApp too was once briefly banned in 2016 after it failed to comply with the court order to turn over user data.
These instances make two things very clear. Firstly, Moraes has nothing personal against Musk, it’s just the way he operates. And secondly, he almost always follows through on his threat.
The post even alleged that the representative was being threatened with arrest if they failed to comply with the orders.
‘His actions are incompatible with democratic government. The people of Brazil have a choice to make – democracy, or Alexandre de Moraes.’ – X
In response to this, X closed down its offices in the country although its services still remain available in Brazil. Only its facilities have been closed down keeping the safety of its employees in mind.
What’s the Main Issue Here?
Musk has been engaged in a battle with Justice Moraes for months now.
- The latter has ordered a ban on around 100 X accounts, accusing them of spreading misinformation and hate speech.
- Musk on the other hand, who has always been against online censorship and government interference, feels that it’s a deliberate attempt to silence conservative voices and refused to ban those accounts.
- What makes the matter more controversial is that most of the accounts that have been targeted belong to right-wing supporters of Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s former president.
- These users not only sympathized with Bolsonaro’s loss but also supported protesters who raided Brazil’s halls of power with the intention of triggering a military takeover. Also, Musk himself has openly supported Bolsonaro.
The main problem started in April when Musk started calling Moraes a dictator and accused him of violating Brazilian laws over his order to suspend those 100 X accounts. In return, Moraes launched an investigation against Musk over the alleged spread of fake news.
After long months of battle, Musk is at an important crossroads and whatever decision he makes will alter the course for X.
On the other hand, if he chooses to follow Moraes’s orders, some significant changes will be made to the way X operates. And as we have seen, Musk isn’t someone who loves to play by the rules.
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Krishi Chowdhary Journalist 
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