In a significant development for social media in Brazil, the Brazilian Supreme Court has ordered the suspension of X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, marking a major escalation in the conflict between Brazilian authorities and the platform’s owner, Elon Musk. This action stems from Musk’s refusal to comply with judicial orders related to blocking accounts linked to the spread of disinformation. The platform has approximately 40 million users in Brazil, a key market, making this a notable blow to X’s operations​(USA Herald – The People’s Voice, Hürriyet Daily News).

The suspension follows a prolonged legal standoff between Musk and Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Moraes had previously demanded that X block several accounts supporting former President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been accused of attempting to undermine Brazil’s democratic institutions. Musk, however, criticized the move as censorship, citing his belief in “free speech absolutism”​(Hürriyet Daily News).

The situation escalated when Musk shut down X’s business operations in Brazil and refused to appoint a new legal representative after the court’s demands, prompting Moraes to issue the suspension order. As of early Saturday, many Brazilian users found themselves unable to access the platform​(LBC).

This marks one of the most high-profile instances of a government blocking a major social media platform, reflecting the ongoing global debate over the balance between free speech and combating disinformation.