Spark controversies, Musk's X in danger of Brazilian ban
Brace yourself, netizens! In less than 24 hours, X—Elon Musk's brainchild—may face the ax in Brazil. The court has made it crystal clear: comply with the requirements or bid adieu to our Brazillian realm. Apparently, Musk dropped the ball when it came to appointing a legal rep in Brazil, and missed the initial court deadline.
Musk's X, a turbulent ride
This kerfuffle all started when justice Alexandre de Moraes, Brazil's court enforcer on disinformation, got into squabbles with tech magnate Elon Musk. De Moraes had a bone to pick with X, slapping sanctions on several user profiles as early as 2023. In his charges, de Moraes accused X of spreading misinformation by Bolsonaro's supporters.
In April, de Moraes went a step further, laying down the law on Musk's company and Musk himself, claiming violation of court orders. Musk, ever the firecracker, promptly flicked de Moraes off as an "enemy of free speech." Defiant as ever, Musk proceeded to flout the ruling, shutting down X offices and racking up steep fines worth 3.2 million euros.
When in Rome, pay the piper
Unable to handle the mounting penalties, Musk found himself slicing pizzas with the judge. De Moraes made fast work of setting a 24-hour timeframe for the company to appoint a legal rep within Brazil. If that task isn't checked off, the judge plans to put X on ice in the country.
Tyrant, accusations, and acts of goodwill
To add fuel to the flames, de Moraes upped the ante by freezing Starlink's financial assets. The move aimed to twist Musk's arm. Starlink reps shot back with a load of baloney, declaring the decision as not just baseless, but a violation of their rights. They swiftly announced legal retaliation.
Musk, master of the dramatic retort, took to the social networking battlefield to label de Moraes a "tyrant." In an unusual show of solidarity, Musk vowed to offer free internet access to all Brazilians via Starlink satellites until the case is over.
Now, X hangs in the balance, with Musk standing firm against the Brazilian Supreme Court judge. The ongoing tiff, however, has not deterred Musk from firing off public jabs. Stay tuned for more fireworks!
