Thursday, August 29, 2024

Brazil judge, Musk standoff intensifies as Starlink assets frozen

Brasília (AFP) – A standoff between a Brazilian Supreme Court judge and Elon Musk intensified Thursday as the billionaire's Starlink company said its assets had been frozen in the country amid a feud over the fate of his social media platform X.


Issued on: 30/08/2024 - 
Brazil Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered Elon Musk to name a new legal representative in the country or face X being shut down there © EVARISTO SA / AFP/File

The episode began Wednesday when Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes threatened to suspend X, formerly known as Twitter, unless Musk named a new legal representative for the company in Brazil within 24 hours.

Then on Thursday, Musk's satellite internet operator, Starlink, said it had received an order from Moraes that "freezes Starlink's finances and prevents Starlink from conducting financial transactions" in the country.

Starlink, which operates in Brazil, particularly in the Amazon, alleged that the order "is based on an unfounded determination that Starlink should be responsible for the fines levied --unconstitutionally -- against X."

The company said on X it intended "to address the matter legally."

Moraes, who also presides over Brazil's Superior Electoral Tribunal, has spearheaded a battle against disinformation in South America's largest nation, clashing with Musk along the way.

Several of the X accounts he ordered suspended belonged to supporters of Brazil's former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who tried to discredit the voting system in the 2022 election, which he lost.

Moraes's Wednesday decision escalated the months-long feud.

Already in April, Moraes ordered an investigation of Musk, accusing him of reactivating some of the banned accounts.

Musk and other critics accuse Moraes of stifling free speech.

In the order made public Wednesday, Moraes told Musk "to appoint the company's new legal representative in Brazil within 24 hours."

"In the event of non-compliance with the order, the decision provides for the suspension of the social network's activities in Brazil," it said.

Following the order, the hashtag "O Twitter morreu" ("Twitter is dead") went viral in Brazil, and leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva posted a message on the platform with the addresses of his other social media accounts.

Musk responded to the order by accusing Moraes of having "repeatedly broken the laws he has sworn to uphold."

He also posted a sarcastic message and doctored photo depicting Moraes as "Voldemort and a Sith Lord," an allusion to the villains of the Harry Potter and Star Wars sagas.

Musk shut X's business operations in Brazil earlier this month, claiming Moraes had threatened the company's previous legal representative with arrest to force compliance with "censorship orders."

Brazilian users have meanwhile continued to be able to access the social media site.

Musk is also the subject of a separate judicial investigation into an alleged scheme where public money was used to orchestrate disinformation campaigns in favor of Bolsonaro and those close to him.

© 2024 AFP


Brazil may soon shut down Musk's X after deadline expires

There has been a public feud for months between a Brazilian Supreme Court judge and X’s owner Elon Musk over content moderation on the social media platform. Now X may be suspended as it failed to meet a court deadline.


Brazil is one of X's largest, most coveted markets
Image: Andre M. Chang/ZUMA Press Wire/picture alliance



Brazil on Thursday appeared set to suspend the services of the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, after the company did not name its legal representative for the South American country by 8:07 p.m. local time (2307 GMT) as ordered by the Brazilian Supreme Court.

Brazilian law requires all internet companies to have a legal representative in the country.

This ensures someone can be notified of legal decisions and is qualified to take any requisite action.

But earlier this month, X removed its legal representative from Brazil on the grounds that Brazilian Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes had threatened her with arrest.

The judge had given X time until Thursday evening to appoint a new representative, or face a shutdown until his order is met.

Does Elon Musk want to make X the new TikTok   12:36



What's the issue between Brazil and X?

The social media site's billionaire owner Elon Musk responded to the judge's order with insults, including calling de Moraes a "tyrant" and "a dictator."

In a post on X, Musk complained that Moraes "is an outright criminal of the worst kind, masquerading as a judge."

At issue in the intensifying dispute is whether Moraes can order X to block certain accounts accused of spreading lies and distortions, a request Musk has denounced as censorship.

Most of the accounts ordered blocked are run by backers of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, some of which deny he lost his 2022 reelection bid.

Musk challenged that decision and said he would reactivate accounts on X, accusing Moraes of stifling free speech.

The announcement prompted Moraes to open an inquiry into the billionaire in early April over the dissemination of fake news. Moraes also launched a separate investigation into the billionaire for alleged obstruction.

Brazil freezes Starlink's finances

On Thursday, Starlink, Musk's satellite internet operator, said it had received an order from Moraes that "freezes Starlink's finances and prevents Starlink from conducting financial transactions" in Brazil.

The company alleged that the order "is based on an unfounded determination that Starlink should be responsible for the fines levied — unconstitutionally — against X."

Starlink said it intended "to address the matter legally."

Meanwhile, after the deadline for the naming of a legal representative expired, X released a statement saying it expects its service to be shutdown in Brazil.

"Unlike other social media and technology platforms, we will not comply in secret with illegal orders," it said. "To our users in Brazil and around the world, X remains committed to protecting your freedom of speech."

X, formerly known as Twitter, is widely used in Brazil. The platform is an important means of communication for politicians in particular.

sri/wd (AFP, AP, Reuters)

No comments:

Post a Comment