A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has initiated an inquiry into tech mogul Elon Musk following a disagreement over social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
The issue arose when Mr. Musk announced his intention to reactivate accounts on X that the judge had previously ordered to be blocked.
In a series of posts on the platform, Musk claimed that the court order was unconstitutional, leading to a clash with Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Musk went as far as calling for Justice Moraes to either step down or face impeachment.
Failure to comply with the court’s order could result in substantial fines for X, totaling 100,000 reais per day. Justice Moraes accused Musk of conducting a disinformation campaign against the Supreme Court in his decision.
The specific accounts affected by the order were not disclosed by the platform’s Global Government Affairs team. However, Musk vowed to publish all requested information by Justice Moraes and highlight how these demands violate Brazilian laws.
The targeted profiles are believed to have ties to far-right movements that were involved in the riots on 8th January the previous year. These incidents saw thousands of supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro storming key government institutions in Brazil.
Apart from the ongoing dispute with Musk, Justice Moraes has also been investigating Bolsonaro and his allies for their alleged roles in an attempted coup d’état. Bolsonaro recently shared a video of a meeting he had with Musk in May 2022, adding to the escalating tensions.
In response to Musk’s actions, Brazil’s communication minister Paulo Pimenta criticized him, emphasizing that social networks are not above the law. Pimenta asserted that regardless of an individual’s wealth or influence, they must respect the laws of the country.
There is a possibility that X might face temporary suspension if it chooses to defy the court order, as suggested by Bruna Santos, the global campaigns manager at Digital Action. Santos believes that Musk’s actions were incendiary towards the Brazilian judiciary and could lead to severe consequences.
The situation remains tense as Musk’s defiance continues to provoke legal authorities in Brazil. The outcome of the inquiry and the subsequent actions taken by the Supreme Court could have significant implications for the tech billionaire and the social media platform X.
