- Brazil's highest court maintains the prohibition of X.
The High Court in Brazil has endorsed the closure of digital platform X. The primary division of the court supported the judgment of federal judge Alexandre de Moraes, as reported by news site G1.
The legal expert authorized the closure of X within the South American nation on Friday. He criticized the Twitter substitute service for being too lenient in controlling the propagation of hate speech and false news. X's owner, Elon Musk, invoked free speech and referred to the judge as a "poor dictator".
The dispute intensified recently. Judge Moraes requested that X block the accounts of right-wing activists disseminating conspiracy theories and misinformation. Musk labeled this demand as unconstitutional, and the online platform did not comply - nor did it pay the imposed fine. Moreover, Musk missed the deadline for designating a legal representative in Brazil, leading Moraes to order the shutdown of the news platform.
The ban will persist until X pays the fine exceeding 18 million Reais (roughly 2.88 million Euros) and appoints a legal representative. In April, Moraes initiated an investigation against Musk personally for obstruction of justice and incitement to crime.
In response to Judge Moraes' order, X refuses to block certain accounts and pays the fine, causing the ongoing dispute. The closure of X in Brazil is viewed by some as an infringement on Elon Musk's right to promote free speech through 'Other' digital platforms.
