In Brazil, X succumbs, yet continues to be imprisoned
Following the suspension of tech billionaire Elon Musk's microblogging platform X in Brazil, the company eventually agreed to partially comply with the country's requirements. They assigned a legal representative, lawyer Rachel Villa Nova Conceicão, in Brazil. However, federal judge Alexandre de Moraes requested additional documents and set a five-day deadline for X to submit the necessary paperwork, including a power of attorney for the lawyer and proof of her registration with the Chamber of Commerce of São Paulo.
Initially, X and Musk resisted this demand, but later, they made a U-turn. For now, the platform is still offline. The judge ordered the shutdown at the end of August due to X's failure to appoint a legal representative as required by the court and their refusal to suspend right-wing activists' accounts spreading false information.
As a result, the Supreme Federal Court fined X 18.35 million Reais (approximately 2.98 million Euros) and Musk's internet company Starlink. Musk closed the Brazilian office in mid-August due to fears of the former representative's arrest related to the legal dispute about the right-wing X accounts. Conceicão had previously represented the company before the closure of the Brazilian branch.
Musk is an advocate for free speech and supported former U.S. President Donald Trump during his election campaign. He accused judge Moraes of attacking free speech and labeled him a "bad dictator." This is not the first time Moraes has taken action against Musk, as he initiated an investigation against him in April for allegedly obstructing justice and inciting crime.
Despite Elon Musk's objections, X eventually appointed Rachel Villa Nova Conceicão as their legal representative in Brazil to comply with the judge's orders. Musk's criticism of judge Moraes continued, labeling him a "bad dictator" for allegedly attacking free speech.
