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The Brazilian Supreme Court has ordered the suspension of operations for X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, after the company missed a deadline to appoint a legal representative in the country.
Late on Friday, Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued an order for the “immediate, complete, and total suspension of X’s operations” in Brazil. This action is the latest in an ongoing conflict between Justice Moraes and Musk, which began in April. The court’s ruling mandates the suspension to remain in effect until all previous court orders are fulfilled, fines are paid, and a new legal representative is appointed for X in Brazil.
Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency was given 24 hours to enforce the suspension. The agency’s president, Carlos Manuel Baigorri, confirmed in an interview with Globonews that the order had been passed on to more than 20,000 internet providers across the country, with an expectation that the suspension would be fully implemented over the weekend.
Initially, Justice Moraes also called on Apple and Google to block the X app on iOS and Android systems, as well as to prevent the use of virtual private network (VPN) applications. However, later in the evening, the judge withdrew this part of the order, pending further statements from X and Musk to avoid unnecessary disruptions to third-party companies.
The court’s decision includes a daily fine of R$50,000 (approximately £6,800) for individuals or companies that attempt to use X via VPNs. The deadline for X to appoint a new legal representative in Brazil expired on Thursday evening, with Musk’s company subsequently announcing that it would not comply.
This dispute dates back to April when Justice Moraes ordered the suspension of several accounts on X for allegedly spreading disinformation, a move Musk criticized as censorship. The situation escalated further on Wednesday when the court gave X 24 hours to appoint a new legal representative, threatening the suspension of the platform if the demand was not met.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva weighed in on the situation during a radio interview on Friday, stating that all foreign investors, including Musk, must respect Brazilian laws and the constitution. Lula emphasized that Brazil’s sovereignty depends on adherence to its legal framework.
Adding to the tension, it was revealed on Thursday that Justice Moraes had also frozen the local bank accounts of Starlink, Musk’s satellite internet provider, in response to its failure to remove accounts accused of promoting anti-democratic activities. The fines against Starlink, currently totaling R$18.3 million (approximately £2.5 million), are part of the broader effort to enforce compliance.
Legal experts have criticized the decision to target Starlink, arguing that the company is a separate entity from X and should not be held accountable for the social media platform’s actions. In response, Starlink has filed a request with the Supreme Court to unfreeze its accounts or limit the freeze to the total amount of the fines against X.
For now, Starlink, a key internet provider in the Amazon region, remains operational despite the ongoing legal battle.
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