Brazil’s Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Social Media Platform X, Formerly Known as Twitter
In a dramatic turn of events, Brazil’s Supreme Court has upheld a ban on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The decision comes after a majority of three out of five justices voted in favor of the measure, ensuring that the ban will remain in place even if the two remaining justices were to vote against it.
X was suspended in Brazil during the early hours of Saturday after failing to appoint a new legal representative in the country before a court-imposed deadline. This suspension is the culmination of a feud between Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and X’s owner, Elon Musk, which began in April when the judge ordered the suspension of dozens of accounts for allegedly spreading disinformation.
Justice Moraes had called for the five-member panel to rule on the suspension, causing division in Brazil. So far, three justices, including Mr. Moraes, have voted in favor of upholding the ban, with two more justices yet to cast their votes. Even if they were to vote against the ban, they would be in the minority, and the suspension would remain in place.
Reacting to the decision, Elon Musk criticized the ban, stating, “Free speech is the bedrock of democracy, and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes.” In his ruling, Justice Moraes gave companies like Apple and Google a five-day deadline to remove X from their app stores and block its use on iOS and Android devices.
With X blocked in Brazil, many users have turned to the microblogging platform Bluesky as an alternative. Bluesky reported a surge in new users, with half a million Brazilians signing up in just two days. Even Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has directed followers to his Bluesky account, along with other social media platforms.
Bluesky CEO Jay Graber expressed her excitement over the influx of new users, stating, “Good job Brazil, you made the right choice.” The ban on X in Brazil has sparked a shift in social media usage, with users exploring alternative platforms in the wake of the suspension.
