Brazil Begins Blocking ‘X’ Platform as Elon Musk’s Dispute with Judiciary Escalates

Anyone trying to access the ‘X’ platform (formerly Twitter) in Brazil on Saturday encountered a blockade after the country imposed a judicial suspension on the social media site owned by American billionaire Elon Musk.

Attempts to access the site via web browsers or through the app on Saturday were met with error messages.

Over the past 24 hours, Brazilians, including President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, bid farewell to the ‘X’ platform, with some posting links to their profiles on other social media platforms.

The blockade followed a Friday order by Brazil’s Supreme Court to suspend ‘X’ nationwide because Musk refused to appoint a legal representative in the country, as Brazilian law requires companies operating in the jurisdiction to have legal representation. However, the platform closed its representative office in Brazil on August 17 after Judge Alexandre de Moraes threatened to prosecute its local representatives due to the company’s reluctance to comply with user-ban orders.

The disputes widened on Friday when the Supreme Court rejected an appeal from Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink, to unfreeze its financial accounts in the country, according to CNN Brazil, which collaborates with CNN.

Starlink’s financial accounts were frozen in the country on Thursday to ensure payment of fines imposed as part of legal disputes related to the ‘X’ platform.