By EZ in News — Aug 30, 2024

Judge Orders X Ban in Brazil, Threatens People Accessing X via VPN with $8,874 Daily Fine

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes suspended Elon Musk's social media platform X in Brazil after Musk missed a 24-hour deadline to appoint a local representative. X has clashed with de Moraes over its refusal to block users as ordered.

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De Moraes ordered internet providers and app stores to block X within five days, and the platform will stay blocked until it complies. Users or companies accessing X via virtual private networks (VPNs) will face daily fines of 50,000 reais (~$8,874), per copy of decision seen by The Associated Press.
X is expected to be unavailable in Brazil within the next 24 hours.

"Elon Musk showed his total disrespect for Brazilian sovereignty and, in particular, for the judiciary, setting himself up as a true supranational entity and immune to the laws of each country," judge de Moraes wrote.

Many accounts Moraes ordered X to block are linked to supporters of former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, reports The New York Times.

"When we attempted to defend ourselves in court, Judge de Moraes threatened our Brazilian legal representative with imprisonment. Even after she resigned, he froze all of her bank accounts. Our challenges against his manifestly illegal actions were either dismissed or ignored. Judge de Moraes’ colleagues on the Supreme Court are either unwilling or unable to stand up to him," the company posted on its official Global Government Affairs page late Thursday.

Thursday evening, Musk's satellite internet service provider Starlink said de Moraes froze its finances, halting transactions in Brazil, where it has over 250,000 customers.
Musk later posted that SpaceX will offer free internet in Brazil "until the matter is resolved" to avoid cutting off users despite not receiving payment.