Brazil’s Supreme Court Threatens to Suspend X Over Legal Rep Issue

Brazil's Supreme Court has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to Elon Musk, owner of the social media platform X, to appoint a legal representative for the platform in Brazil or face a nationwide suspension of its operations. This directive from Justice Alexandre de Moraes comes amid an ongoing dispute over alleged misinformation and disinformation on the platform, as well as the suspension of over 100 X accounts, some linked to supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro.

X, formerly known as Twitter, recently announced the closure of its operations in Brazil and the removal of all remaining staff in the country, citing threats made by de Moraes against its legal representatives. The Supreme Court has emphasized that non-compliance with Brazilian legislation could lead to the suspension of X's activities. Critics of de Moraes argue that his actions amount to a crackdown on free speech, while supporters view it as a necessary step to combat disinformation.

Elon Musk, who is also under investigation for alleged crimes including obstruction of justice and incitement to crime, has been given until 8 p.m. local time Thursday to comply with the court's order. This situation marks a significant challenge to Musk's stance on protecting his social network from what he perceives as censorship, potentially impacting one of X's largest markets outside the United States.