In a recent development, Elon Musk has been instructed by Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes to designate a legal representative for his messaging platform, X, in Brazil. The owner of X has been given a 24-hour ultimatum to comply or face the potential suspension of his platform in the country.
What Happened: The court’s decision was made public on Wednesday evening. Earlier in the month, X had announced its decision to cease operations and lay off its staff in Brazil, citing “censorship orders” from Moraes. However, the company assured that its services would remain available to users in the country, Reuters reported Thursday.
The Supreme Court posted a screenshot of the court’s decision on its X account, tagging both Musk’s and X’s Global Government Affairs account. The document emphasized that companies that fail to comply with the country’s laws or protect the confidentiality of private information could face temporary suspension of their activities.
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Why It Matters: This development is the latest in a series of confrontations between Musk and Brazilian authorities. In April, Musk was investigated by the Brazilian Supreme Court for obstructing justice in a social media dispute. Musk’s X platform also defied a Brazilian court order and called for Justice Moraes to resign, accusing him of issuing “the most draconian demands of any country on Earth.”
Musk’s ongoing legal battles with the governments of Brazil and Australia over content restrictions have been widely reported. Critics argue that Musk’s selective challenges to these restrictions are empowering extremists, while Musk maintains that they suppress free speech. His feud with Brazilian authorities originated from the handling of “digital militias” linked to former President Jair Bolsonaro.
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari
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