A Brazilian Supreme Court justice has ordered the immediate suspension of social media platform X in the country after the company failed to identify a legal representative in Brazil. The suspension comes after a court-imposed deadline expired and is part of an ongoing feud between Justice Alexandre de Moraes and Elon Musk, who is also involved in the satellite internet provider Starlink.
De Moraes ordered the full and immediate suspension of X until all related court orders are complied with, including the payment of fines and the appointment of a legal representative in Brazil. The telecommunications regulator Anatel has been instructed to implement the suspension and confirm its completion within 24 hours.
To prevent users from circumventing the blockage using VPNs, de Moraes warned that fines could be imposed for attempting to access the social network in that manner. X had anticipated the shutdown order and Musk, who views it as censorship, closed the platform’s offices in Brazil. Despite this, X confirmed that its services would still be available in the country.
The feud between X and Brazilian authorities began when de Moraes ordered the platform to block certain accounts associated with spreading distorted news and hate. Additionally, the Supreme Court froze the local bank accounts of Starlink, prompting the company to request a suspension of this decision.
The ongoing dispute highlights the challenges faced by social media platforms when dealing with legal issues and government regulations in different countries.
Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com