Elon Musk Forced to Retreat Before Supreme Court to Restore X in Brazil

The social network X, formerly Twitter, has taken a first step towards reinstating its services in Brazil by appointing a legal representative in the country. However, a Brazilian judge emphasized that the suspension of this social network's activities will continue until all necessary conditions are met. Judge Alexandre de Moraes of Brazil's Supreme Court announced on Saturday, September 31, that X has not yet met 'all the required conditions for lifting the activity ban' and has given the network five days to provide the additional necessary documents. This senior judge has been engaged in a legal battle with Elon Musk, the wealthy owner of X, for a long time as part of efforts to combat the spread of fake news in Brazil. Last month, after Musk refused to block dozens of right-wing accounts accused of spreading fake news and failed to appoint a new legal representative in Brazil, Judge Moraes suspended X's activities in the country. The conflict between Brazil's Supreme Court and this American billionaire, who presents himself as a supporter of 'absolute freedom of speech,' has gradually turned into a serious dispute over the limits of free speech on one side and the responsibilities of large corporations on the other. X, or Twitter, had 22 million active users in Brazil before the suspension. Judge Moraes also fined X five million reais, equivalent to $913,000, for violating the suspension order. Last Thursday, the network became accessible in Brazil again due to a technical change that effectively circumvented the suspension order. However, X denied 'deliberate' violation of the suspension order, claiming it was 'accidental and temporary' and resulted from changes in network providers. Hours later, X was once again inaccessible. Judge Moraes stated that X has deliberately engaged in 'illegal, malicious, and ongoing' efforts to defy Brazilian law. At the same time, to ensure the payment of the fine by X, he has blocked the assets of the network as well as Starlink, the satellite internet provider owned by Elon Musk. Starlink has been operational for two years, especially in remote areas of the Amazon region in Brazil. While the conflict between the two sides continues, Elon Musk has referred to Judge Moraes as a 'wicked dictator' and compared him to the character 'Voldemort' from the Harry Potter series; on the other hand, the judge has emphasized that X cannot continue to disseminate 'fake information that endangers democracy.' The suspension of X's activities in Brazil has received support from the left-wing faction backing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, while former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters have described the court's action as 'censorship against the constitution.'