Brazil’s Supreme Court panel recently voted to uphold a ban on Elon Musk’s social media platform X in Brazil. The ban came after X failed to appoint a legal representative in the country, as required by Brazilian law. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes set a deadline for X to comply, which Musk failed to meet. This prompted de Moraes to issue a statement accusing Musk of disrespecting Brazilian sovereignty and the judiciary. In response, Musk called de Moraes an “evil dictator” for shutting down the platform, which he claimed was the “#1 source of truth in Brazil.”
The Supreme Court judge also imposed a daily fine on businesses and individuals in Brazil who use virtual private networks (VPNs) to access X. This ban is not the first time X has been prohibited in a country; China was the first to ban the platform in 2009. The ban in Brazil was triggered by X’s refusal to block accounts spreading misinformation about former President Jair Bolsonaro. Musk’s decision to remove X’s legal representative in Brazil as a protest against the orders led to the ban in the country.
Countries like Iran, China, North Korea, and Myanmar have faced bans or restrictions on Twitter, which X was formerly known as. These bans were often due to the platform’s role in facilitating dissent or spreading information deemed threatening to the ruling regime. In Brazil, the ban on X came after the platform was ordered to restrict accounts linked to fake news and hate speech following a mob attack on the National Congress spurred by false claims of electoral fraud.
Under Musk’s leadership, X has taken a different approach to handling governmental orders and laws in various countries. Analysts note that Musk’s decision-making style is impulsive and differs from Dorsey’s, the former owner of the platform. X’s conflicts with authorities in different countries, including Brazil and India, show a shift in the platform’s stance towards compliance with local laws. Musk’s refusal to comply with Brazilian regulations has led to the ban on X in the country, with former President Jair Bolsonaro expressing support for those protesting the ban.
In the United States, Twitter under Dorsey faced controversies regarding content moderation decisions, including blocking posts related to the Hunter Biden scandal and banning ex-President Trump. Dorsey acknowledged shortcomings in Twitter’s approach to managing public conversations. He admitted that the company had become too powerful and emphasized the need for users to have more control over moderating their own content. The differences in response to governmental orders and laws between Musk’s X and Dorsey’s Twitter reflect the leaders’ distinct personalities and approach to managing social media platforms.
