A Brazilian Supreme Court justice has initiated an investigation into Elon Musk following his announcement to restore previously banned accounts on X, the platform previously known as Twitter. Musk’s decision came after he declared the judge’s blocking orders unconstitutional and suggested Justice Alexandre de Moraes should either resign or face impeachment. Non-compliance with the court’s orders could result in a daily fine of 100,000 reais (approximately $19,774 or £15,670) for X.
Justice Moraes accused Musk of spearheading a campaign of misinformation against the Supreme Court. While X’s Global Government Affairs team remained silent on the specific accounts in question, Musk vowed to disclose all demands made by Moraes and argue their infringement on Brazilian law.
The accounts in question are suspected of ties to extreme right-wing groups, disseminating content related to the January 8 riots, when supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro attacked Brazil’s Congress, Supreme Court, and presidential offices.
Justice Moraes has been a key figure in efforts to regulate social media within Brazil and is probing Bolsonaro and his followers for their part in what is being termed an attempted coup.
The controversy stirred further when Bolsonaro, on the eve of a planned gathering of his supporters, shared a video of a meeting with Musk from May 2022. In response, Brazil’s Minister of Communications Paulo Pimenta condemned Musk’s actions, emphasizing that social networks must abide by laws and warning against any attempts to undermine Brazil’s sovereignty.
Digital Action, a nonprofit organization, suggested that Musk’s defiance could potentially lead to X being temporarily blocked in Brazil, highlighting the escalating tensions between Musk and Brazilian authorities.
