Brazil orders halt on Musk's X for non‑compliance with court rules
A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has ordered the "immediate and complete suspension" of X (formerly Twitter), owned by Elon Musk, within the country. The decision stems from the company's failure to appoint a new legal representative in Brazil and pay imposed fines.
The Brazilian Supreme Court decided on Friday concerning the activities of the X platform in Brazil. Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered the "immediate and complete suspension" of the platform's operation until it complies with all court rulings and pays the required fees.
£40,000 fines for using VPNs
Moraes also requested tech giants Apple and Google to remove the X app from their online stores within five days and block access to it on iOS and Android operating systems.
Additionally, the judge warned that individuals and companies attempting to access X using VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) could be fined up to £40,000.
Musk, the owner of the platform, is advocating the use of VPNs.
"Just a reminder that you can always access this platform via http://X.com, even on your phone. No app is needed. Now would also be a good time to download a VPN in case you get blocked," the billionaire wrote.
"Evil dictator cosplaying as a judge"
The crisis between the X platform and Brazilian authorities began in April when Judge Moraes decided on the partial suspension of X's activities, accusing it of spreading misinformation.
Musk sharply commented on the judge's decision, claiming that "Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes."
"Alexandre de Moraes is an evil dictator cosplaying as a judge.," Musk stated.
The platform is to cease operations in Brazil within the next 24 hours (20:00 GMT).
The ban will remain in effect until the X platform appoints a new legal representative and pays all imposed fines "for violating Brazilian law."
X will not comply with judge's demands
X has already announced that it does not intend to comply with Judge Moraes' demands.
"We simply won't do that. In the days to come, we will publish all of Judge de Moraes’ illegal demands and all related court filings in the interest of transparency. Unlike other social media and technology platforms, we will not comply in secret with illegal orders. To our users in Brazil and around the world, X remains committed to protecting your freedom of speech," reads a statement from the X platform.
