BRASILIA – Microblogging platform X, former Twitter, faced a major blow as Brazilian Supreme Court ordered to block the site after Elon Musk, refused to follow court orders to suspend specific accounts.
The situation marks a test for Elon Musk’s vision of transforming the social media giant into a forum for unrestricted speech in parts of the world,
The top court of South American nation issued blockade due to lack of a local office in the country. This decision followed Musk’s closure of Brazilian office last week, prompted by Moraes’s threats of arrest for non-compliance with directives to remove accounts violating Brazilian laws.
Meanwhile, the microblogging site criticised court orders as unlawful and plans to disclose them publicly. Musk argued that these actions undermine free speech for political purposes.
Moraes has also frozen the assets of SpaceX’s Starlink service in Brazil to enforce a $3 million fine against X. With over 250,000 users in Brazil, Starlink plans to challenge this order and may offer its service for free in the country if needed.
X Blocked in Pakistan
In February 2024, Pakistan also blocked access to X, citing national security concerns and the need to prevent chaos in the country amid elections.
This move followed calls for protests by PTI’s party over alleged vote manipulation. Critics view the ban as a way to stifle dissent. Sindh High Court has ordered the restoration of access within a week, but it remains intermittent.
Several political parties, companies and users heavily relies on social media, and are facing significant communication challenges due to the restrictions.
