Brazil's Supreme Court orders nationwide suspension of X

On August 30, Brazil's Supreme Court issued an order to suspend the social media platform X across the country. 

The ruling comes in response to allegations that X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has repeatedly ignored Brazilian court orders and regulations, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Justice Moraes, who issued the decision, cited X's "repeated, conscious, and willful non-compliance with court orders" and failure to adhere to imposed daily fines. He condemned the platform for fostering an environment of impunity and lawlessness on Brazilian social networks, particularly during the upcoming 2024 municipal elections.

The court also criticized X for being a channel for hateful and racist speech that has disrupted Brazil's democratic processes. On August 28, Moraes had given Musk 24 hours to designate a legal representative in Brazil, warning that failure to comply would lead to X's suspension.

The Brazilian government had previously summoned Musk over his refusal to remove posts and accounts spreading disinformation and hateful content. In response to ongoing complaints and fines from the judiciary, Musk shut down X's offices in Brazil last week.

The Brazilian government had previously banned several accounts linked to allies of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who faces allegations of plotting a coup against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The court found these profiles guilty of spreading false information and undermining democratic institutions, resulting in over $3 million in fines for X.

The Supreme Court has instructed the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) to disconnect X nationwide within 24 hours and has given Apple and Google five days to remove the app from their stores.

Musk has publicly criticized Justice Moraes on X, calling him an "evil dictator cosplaying as a judge," but has not yet issued a formal response to the latest developments.