Previously known as Twitter, X faces potential suspension in Brazil for not following a Supreme Court directive calling for the appointment of new legal representation. In a statement earlier this month, the social networking company said that the threat of arrest its agent had received caused it to close its offices there. Alleging that many X accounts were spreading false information, Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes issued an April injunction to suspend them.
The owner of X, Elon Musk, attacked Judge Moraes and labeled him a tyrant and dictator. He has also said he wants these accounts returned to their natural status. The ruling later gave X a 24 hour deadline to name a legal counsel. Should the platform deviate from the deadline, the judge issued a warning regarding possible suspension of the platform. Given this, the court can shortly decide to forbid X until it satisfies the criteria, which include the naming of a representative and the payment of penalties for suspected violations of Brazilian law.
X responded by saying in a public statement that it expects Judge Moraes to mandate the suspension of the platform in Brazil as the platform does not follow what it regards to be legal directives. To maintain openness, the company promised to provide the judge’s instructions after declaring it would not covertly follow these requirements. Under similar circumstances, a ruling by the Supreme Court has also resulted in the blocking of Starlink, Musk’s satellite internet company’s bank accounts in Brazil.
X said it would not follow what it considers illegal orders by Judge Moraes to highlight its dedication to openness. As the situation develops, X faces potential suspension in Brazil, a pressing concern for the social networking giant.
