Brazil Bans X Amid Tensions with Owner Elon Musk
Madeline Kruszczynski
Digital Editor
X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, was recently banned in Brazil following escalating tensions between the Brazilian government and X’s owner, Elon Musk. The conflict dates to 2022, when Musk acquired the platform from X Corp, as reported by The New York Times. As a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist,” Musk’s leadership has been linked to a surge in misinformation, with governments and organizations across the globe expressing concerns, as reported by Politico. Notably, the United Kingdom Parliament, Michigan state officials, and Brazil’s government have raised questions about Musk’s influence over the platform.
On August 31, Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the suspension of X, blocking access to over 21 million users, according to Statista. This decision stems from ongoing tensions between Elon Musk and the Brazilian government regarding censorship and the absence of an X representative in the country, as reported by The New York Times. Justice de Moraes has previously ordered various social media platforms to suspend accounts considered threats to Brazil’s democracy, though such requests are typically private. However, X’s government affairs team released documents allegedly showing requests from de Moraes, including the removal of 19 accounts, some of which belonged to right-wing influencers and lawmakers.
A day before the suspension, Justice de Moraes indicated that X faced fines for failing to comply with these removal orders. This is not the first instance of Brazil taking legal action against social media platforms; in 2016, Brazilian authorities arrested a Facebook executive after the company failed to provide data in a drug trafficking investigation, reports Reuters. As tensions between Musk and Justice de Moraes rose, Musk made the decision to withdraw X employees from Brazil to avoid arrest.
The topic of censorship on social media raises broader questions about its impact on elections and governance. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, most social media platforms comply with the legal frameworks of the countries in which they operate. However, critics across the globe argue that these platforms often fail to enforce their policies consistently, leading to the spread of harmful content and abuse of the sites. This issue was highlighted during the House committee hearings on the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol insurrection. NPR reports that former President Donald Trump’s tweets played a significant role in inciting violence, with protester Stephen Ayres testifying, “he [Donald Trump] basically put out, you know, come to the ‘Stop the Steal’ rally, you know, and I felt like I needed to be down here,” This testimony is just one of more than 800 criminal cases involved in this insurrection, many of which cited Trump’s tweets as a motivating factor.
Similar to these issues in the U.S, an event unfolded in Brazil on January 8, 2023, when thousands of supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed government buildings in response to the election of Lula da Silva, according to The Associated Press. A study by the Harvard Kennedy School reveals that misinformation circulated on X played a key role in mobilizing Bolsonaro’s supporters, who believed the election had been “rigged.” In the days following the insurrection, X saw a spike in patriot-related messages, fueling unrest. In response, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has made efforts to curb misinformation by silencing certain accounts. However, Musk has not only been uncooperative but has publicly ridiculed Justice Moraes, comparing him to the villain Voldemort from the Harry Potter series in a post on his account.
As social media platforms like X continue to grow in influence, their use for political purposes introduces an increasingly complex challenge on a global scale. With the rapid developments of artificial intelligence, these platforms are becoming even more powerful, with many believing a stronger oversight is needed. Brazil’s decisive actions to minimize the spread of harmful content may be the first of a new trend, as governments around the world are likely to implement stronger measures to prevent future unrest and safeguard democratic stability.
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