Elon Musk has sharply criticized a Brazilian Supreme Court justice for ordering the shutdown of X, formerly known as Twitter, in Brazil, accusing the justice of election interference and other crimes. The move by Justice Alexandre de Moraes to block the social media platform has sparked a fierce response from the tech mogul.
On Friday, de Moraes ordered the immediate suspension of X across the country, instructing internet providers to block access to the platform. In a further blow to Musk, de Moraes also froze the finances of SpaceX and its Starlink satellite internet service in Brazil to collect fines imposed on X.
The 51-page order, which has been described as more sweeping than initially reported, has drawn criticism from international observers. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Brendan Carr condemned the order, stating that it represents an attempt to stifle free speech and impose authoritarian controls. Carr, the senior Republican on the FCC, noted that de Moraes cited Brexit and the 2016 election of Donald Trump as examples of extreme populist outcomes he aims to prevent by imposing a new censorship regime in Brazil ahead of the country’s elections later this year.
Carr also highlighted that this type of censorship is expressly prohibited by Brazil’s Constitution, adding that de Moraes argued free speech on X could influence the Brazilian electorate in the 2024 elections.
Musk went further in his criticism, accusing de Moraes of “serious, repeated & deliberate election interference in Brazil’s last presidential election.” He claimed that, under Brazilian law, such actions could result in up to 20 years in prison. Musk also suggested that some former Twitter employees may have been complicit in these alleged actions, though he did not provide specific evidence.
Musk’s post on the matter has garnered significant attention, with over 36 million views as of the publication of this article.
The results of the 2022 Brazilian general election, in which Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated the incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro, were contested by Bolsonaro and his supporters, who raised concerns about potential irregularities and alleged fraud. However, the Brazilian Superior Electoral Court (TSE) and international observers upheld the legitimacy of the election results, and no substantial evidence was provided to support claims of election interference.
The response by the da Silva administration to these contestations has been contentious. Legal actions have been taken against individuals accused of spreading misinformation about the election results, actions which have been criticized by Bolsonaro’s supporters as attacks on free speech.
Starlink, the satellite internet service owned by Musk, has vowed to fight de Moraes’ order and has even suggested it might make the service free in Brazil if necessary. De Moraes has also declared that anyone using a VPN to access X after its suspension could face fines of up to approximately $8,800.
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