Elon Musk started posting actively on X (formerly Twitter) this weekend, making a clear stance against particular Brazilian court orders. Musk claimed an “aggressive censorship” going on, which may cause the X Corporation to lose “all revenue in Brazil.”
On April 6, X Corp’s Global Government Affairs account informed its users that court decisions forced the platform to block specific Brazilian accounts. The company explained it does not have more information on the reasonings or which laws were broken.
Moreover, X disclosed being prohibited from saying whom the order came from and which accounts it affected. As announced, Global Government Affairs said they challenged the orders in the belief they are not by Brazilian laws and the Constitution, making a stance in favor of free speech and transparency.
Elon Musk challenges allegedly censorship in Brazil
Interestingly, Elon Musk started to actively post on that matter, besides the official X Corporation communication. In a comment, he addressed the regulatory and financial consequences of his actions, saying:
“We are lifting all restrictions. This judge has applied massive fines, threatened to arrest our employees, and cut off access to in Brazil. As a result, we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there. But principles matter more than profit.”
– Elon Musk
Previously, the multi-billionaire slammed an “aggressive censorship” that “appears to violate the law and will of the people of Brazil.” His post quoted an extensive source with many pieces of evidence in what the journalist Michael Shellenberger called Twitter Files – Brazil.
Twitter Files – Brazil
Essentially, the extensive thread published natively on X claims that:
“Brazil is engaged in a sweeping crackdown on free speech led by a Supreme Court justice named Alexandre de Moraes.”
– Michael Shellenberger
Twitter Files – Brazil tells a story of prisons “without trial for things they posted on social media,” and the judge’s interference on the platform. It is made of internal emails from the once-Twitter team, highlighting the censorship attempts and threats.
Notably, the mentioned judge, Alexandre de Moraes, was part of both the Supreme Court and the Superior Electoral Court. Therefore, Shellenberger reported what could have been “an attack on the democratic process.”
Now, the world’s eyes turn to Brazil, Elon Musk, X Corp, and the Supreme Court justice, Alexandre de Moraes. The company may face revenue losses and operations restrictions in the country amid an escalation of a legal battle.
In closing, people must seek full knowledge of the facts and shreds of evidence related to what could be an aggressive censorship and political influence affecting the people in Brazil and companies worldwide.
