X Ban in Brazil to Continue as Supreme Court Upholds Suspension, It Could Be Reversed If...

Sao Paulo: The social media platform ‘X’, owned by Elon Musk has been banned in Brazil until further notice and this ban has now been upheld by five judges of Brazil's Supreme Court. The social media platform ban was imposed after Elon Musk failed to adhere to a deadline for naming a legal representative.

Supreme Court Upholds ‘X’ Ban in Brazil

Five judges of Brazil's Supreme Court unanimously decided to uphold the ban imposed on the social media platform ‘X’ in the country.

On being asked to consider the Justice Alexandre de Moraes' decision of banning ‘X’ in Brazil, Justice Flavio Dino, who was joined by Justice Cristiano Zanin said, “It is not possible for a company to operate in the territory of a country and intend to impose its vision on which rules should be valid or applied.”

They further said, “A party that intentionally fails to comply with court decisions appears to consider itself above the rule of law. And so it can turn into an outlaw.”

These judges were backed by Justice Carmen Lucia and Luiz Fux, making this a unanimous decision.

X Ban in Brazil Can Be Reversed If…

The ban imposed because Musk failed to comply with the deadline of naming a legal representative for the country, can be reversed on only one condition.

If the Elon Musk-owned platform X complies with previous court rulings, the ban may be reversed.

Moraes's original order, which was released on Friday, had called Musk an "outlaw" who intended to "allow the massive spread of disinformation, hate speech and attacks on the democratic rule of law, violating the free choice of the electorate, by keeping voters away from real and accurate information."

Why is ‘X’ Banned in Brazil?

The social media platform ‘X’ was banned in Brazil after the tech billionaire refused to name a legal representative in the country, according to a copy of the decision seen by The Associated Press. The move further escalated the months long feud between the two men over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes had warned Musk on Wednesday night that X could be blocked in Brazil if he failed to comply with his order to name a representative, and established a 24-hour deadline. The company hasn't had a representative in the country since earlier this month.

In his decision, de Moraes gave internet service providers and app stores five days to block access to X, and said the platform will remain blocked until it complies with his orders. He also said people or companies who use virtual private networks, or VPNs, to access X will be subject to daily fines of 50,000 reais ($8,900).“

Elon Musk showed his total disrespect for Brazilian sovereignty and, in particular, for the judiciary, setting himself up as a true supranational entity and immune to the laws of each country,” de Moraes wrote.

(Inputs from ANI)