X Brazil vows to comply with account-blocking orders

Apr 17, 2024

Earlier this month, Musk went on the attack against Moraes, who has waged a crusade against disinformation, especially attempts by far-right supporters of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro to discredit the voting system ahead of Brazil's 2022 elections.

Brazil's President-elect Luiz Inacio da Silva (R) receives from the President of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) Alexandre de Moraes (L) the certification diploma during a ceremony at the TSE headquarters in Brasilia, December 12, 2022 (Photo by AFP)

AFP .
@New Vision

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The Brazilian office of X has vowed to comply with court orders, which the social media company's owner Elon Musk had threatened to disregard, to block disinformation-spreading users, according to a document seen by AFP Tuesday.

A three-page letter addressed to Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes, with whom Musk has been embroiled in a public dispute, said all orders "are and will continue to be fully complied with by X Corp."

The letter drawn up by the company's law firm stated that "X Brasil is committed to transmitting... any information that it may receive on the subject from X Corp."

In a previous communication, X Brazil had argued it did not have the power to compel the US-based company to comply with the judge's orders.

Earlier this month, Musk went on the attack against Moraes, who has waged a crusade against disinformation, especially attempts by far-right supporters of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro to discredit the voting system ahead of Brazil's 2022 elections.

Users blocked by Moraes include figures like far-right ex-congressman Daniel Silveira, who was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2022 on charges of leading a movement to overthrow the Supreme Court.

Musk had vowed to reinstate blocked accounts, saying: "We will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there" but "principles matter more than profit."

He has not followed through on his threats.

Moraes has "betrayed the constitution" and "should resign or be impeached," the Tesla and SpaceX boss wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Moraes, who is also head of Brazil's Superior Electoral Tribunal, responded by ordering fines of 100,000 reais (around $20,000) a day for any blocked account that X reactivates.

Accusing Musk of "criminal instrumentalization" of X, Moraes also placed the South Africa-born mogul under investigation for crimes including conspiracy and obstruction of justice.

The letter to Moraes stated that X had handed over documents relating to the Brazilian court's orders to the US House of Representatives Judicial Affairs Committee, which had requested them.

Brazil is part of a growing international debate about the limits of free speech on social media, where some say allowing a free-for-all endangers democracy.

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