A panel of five Brazilian Supreme Court justices voted on September 2, 2024 to uphold a decision that requires the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) to restrict access to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. The ban, originally issued by Justice Alexandre de Moraes on August 30, was imposed due to X owner Elon Musk’s failure to comply with court orders to block specific accounts and designate a legal representative in Brazil.
Reports from Poder360 and O Globo indicate that justices Cristiano Zanin, Flávio Dino, and Cármen Lúcia fully supported de Moraes’ ruling. However, Luiz Fux expressed reservations about imposing fines on users who bypass the ban with VPNs, suggesting fines should be limited to those spreading criminal content like Nazism or fascism.
Following the ban, Brazilian users have flocked to competing platforms. Starlink, another Musk-affiliated entity, has informed Anatel that it will not comply with the ban until its assets are unfrozen. Currently, X remains accessible via Starlink, despite de Moraes blocking the company from Brazilian transactions while seeking $3 million in unpaid fines from X.
Internet providers and app stores have been given until the 4th day of September to implement measures to block access to X in Brazil.
Shongjog 