- Musk's contentious situation with Brazil deepens to the disappointment of his patrons
A typical initiator sparked the commotion: The short messaging service X was asked to restrict around 140 radical individuals' accounts, as requested by the Brazilian administration. This request, however, was met with resistance from Elon Musk, the service's creator, despite facing substantial fines. This ongoing conflict now poses a potential threat to numerous Brazilian internet users, potentially depriving them of full connectivity access.
This latest development occurs just a few days ago. On Saturday, Brazil followed through with its warning and restricted its residents' access to the previously known-as-Twitter X. The dispute between Musk and Brazil has been simmering for quite some time, now at risk of full-blown eruption.
Elon Musk vs. Brazil
Both parties are fighting for their principles. The Brazilian government is looking to enforce ongoing legislation against an international corporation, attempting to block accounts known for spreading conspiracy theories and misinformation. Elon Musk, in turn, champions free speech and opposes such restrictions even if it means going against individual countries' regulations. He has consistently criticized judge Alexandre de Moraes, portraying him as a "dictator" and a "false judge."
A political aspect also appears to play a role in this conflict. The majority of the targeted accounts were right-wing extremists, which aligns with the current left-leaning government of Lula da Silva. The aforementioned judge, de Moraes, was granted additional powers by the government regarding internet companies.
Musk, however, has become increasingly right-wing in recent years and maintains close ties with the previous right-wing populist government of Jair Bolsonaro, attacking the "dictatorship disguised as free democracy that tramples on its own people." However, the Brazilian perspective is not monolithic; even the Supreme Court has supported the block on Monday.
Musk refuses compliance
Musk had multiple opportunities to prevent this outcome. After X failed to comply with block requests, a fine was imposed, which was then ignored. In August, the company even shut down its Brazilian office—allegedly due to Musk fearing the arrest of employees. This, however, disregarded Brazilian law, which mandates every large international corporation to maintain local legal representation. Only when this was reinstated and the fine was paid would X again be permitted to operate.
Judge de Moraes' determination is evident in the fine imposed for bypassing the block. Using VPN services to circumvent the blockade can result in a daily fine of 8,000 euros. Musk, however, continues to advertise these services. Another option is offered by his company Starlink, which remains unresponsive to a court order to restrict X access for Brazilian customers via its satellite internet.
The customers suffer
Brazil is now considering measures against Starlink, which could include escalating fines and even banning the company from operating in the country. The devastating impacts of this action would be particularly felt in Brazil's vast forests, where Starlink often serves as the primary means of obtaining internet access for remote communities. Disrupting services in these areas would cut off the affected communities from the internet.
Musk's stubbornness is largely responsible for the escalation. While claiming to defend the 140 accounts' right to free speech, he accepts that the estimated 20 million Brazilian X users will lose access to his messaging service. If Starlink becomes embroiled in this, the situation for affected customers would worsen.
Musk shows no remorse, focusing primarily on attacking the ban and the Brazilian government. He has taken low blows at judge de Moraes, even resorting to insulting his appearance. Musk's new favored taunt: de Moraes resembles Lord Voldemort from "Harry Potter." He continues to hold hope for a swift victory, promising on X that "this criminal [de Moraes] will soon be behind bars," but without specifying who would be responsible for his apprehension.
In response to the Brazilian government's actions, Elon Musk and his companies, including X and Starlink, have become central figures in a contentious standoff. On Saturday, Brazil implemented its threat and restricted its residents' access to Twitter X, escalating the dispute between Musk and the Latin American nation. This conflict involving Brazil and Musk's stance on free speech continues to unfold, potentially impacting millions of Brazilian X users and remote communities that rely on Starlink for internet access.
