Brazil’s telecommunications regulator suspended access to Elon Musk’s social media platform X after the platform failed to meet a court deadline to name a legal representative in the country, Reuters reports.
The suspension follows a months-long conflict between Musk and Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who insists on regulating hate speech on social media, which Musk views as censorship. Moraes ordered X to be blocked until it complies with all court orders, including paying over $3 million in fines and appointing a local representative. Telecommunications companies were instructed to block access to X, and users attempting to bypass the block with VPNs could face fines.
The dispute began earlier this year when X was ordered to block accounts spreading misinformation, which Musk condemned as censorship. The conflict also led to the freezing of Starlink’s bank accounts in Brazil, a subsidiary of Musk’s SpaceX. Brazil’s President Lula da Silva emphasized that all companies must comply with local laws, while Musk criticized the suspension as unjust censorship.
