New Trouble for X: Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Orders Suspension of X

A judge from Brazil's Supreme Court issued an order for the "immediate suspension" of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in the country on Friday. This decision came after the deadline set by the court for introducing a legal representative of X in Brazil expired. This action is the latest chapter in the conflict between a Brazilian Supreme Court judge and Elon Musk, which had previously led to the blocking of the financial accounts of the satellite internet provider Starlink in Brazil. Judge Moraes issued a complete and immediate suspension order for X in the country until all court orders related to X are executed, including the payment of fines amounting to eighteen and a half million reais (three million two hundred and eighty thousand dollars) and the introduction of a legal representative in Brazil. Moraes instructed the telecommunications regulator Anatel to implement the suspension order and confirm to the court within twenty-four hours that this has been done. To prevent the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) to circumvent this blockage, Moraes stated that individuals or companies attempting to maintain access to the social network in this way may be fined up to fifty thousand reais (about 9 thousand dollars) daily. X announced late Thursday that it expected Supreme Court Judge Alexandre Moraes to issue the closure order "soon," as the deadline set by the court for introducing a legal representative in Brazil had expired. Earlier this year, Moraes ordered X to block specific accounts accused in investigations related to digital militias that disseminate distorted news and hate. Musk condemned this order as censorship and responded by shutting down the platform's offices in Brazil. X, which was previously known as Twitter, stated at that time that its services would still be available in Brazil. Amid the disputes over X, the Brazilian Supreme Court also blocked the local bank accounts of Starlink, which is forty percent owned by Musk, forcing the company to request a suspension of this decision from the court on Friday.