Implications of Brazil's X Ban for Elon Musk and Tech Entrepreneur Peers

Unleashing the Rooster: Elon Musk's X Gets the Boot in Brazil

By Blonde Charmer

Published Sep 5, 2024 at 09:00 AM

Reading time: 3 minutes

Implications of Brazil's X Ban for Elon Musk and Tech Entrepreneur Peers

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Let's get the lowdown on Brazil's decision to bid adieu to ol' Elon Musk's latest creation, X (formerly Twitter). Spoiler alert: our tears are still fresh.

It's no secret that Musk and Brazil haven't seen eye-to-eye for a hot minute. Yet, we're wondering, what propelled this bust-up between the Tesla CEO and the South American nation? Let's juicy up the details, shall we?

Earlier this month, on August 30, 2024, Brazil's Supreme Court declared X (oh, how times have changed) a no-go due to a series of meetings with Chief Technical Officer Elon Musk regarding disinformation and bump*t news. A matter of days later, the court unanimously approved the ban, throwing the entire country into a quagmire.

But what's the beef, really? And will this move compel other nations to get tough on Musk's blatant refusal to keep a lid on X? Let's chew on it, chagas.

Brazil's Blistering Battle with Musk

**Brazil'sSource:BBC beef with Musk began when Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes demanded that he disable a swarm of accounts on X that had been spreading false news. Many of these tall tales revolved around the defeat of former president Jair Bolsonaro in 2022, as well as the storming of Brazil's_Source: BBC_ Brazil's Congress, an incident alleged to have been fueled by electoral misinformation. **

Critics say that if Musk were not the boss of X, a ban may have never unfolded. After all, Musk is notorious for shielding far-right accounts and spewing his own brand of misogyny and racism, under the guise of being a "free speech absolutist." He has been a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Andrew Tate, to name a few.

Believe it or not, Musk has not only tweaked X's algorithms in favour of Christian nationalists but has also suppressed progressive opinions and spewed vile remarks about liberal politicians. A perfect example: he referred to presidential candidate Kamala Harris' politics as a "philosophy [that] would cause a de facto holocaust for all of humanity!"_

Other Countries: To Ban or Not to Ban?

As Brazil struggles with Musk's household disruption, the question on everyone's lips is, "What's next?" Could other countries follow suit and echo Brazil's stance on X? Stay tuned.

Though no other countries have officially announced plans to instigate a ban, ongoing discussions about social media regulation at the political level are by no means a secret. If X continues to see regulatory hurdles and compliance issues, don't be surprised if another ban pops up. Mind you, the US government is still mulling over plans to sack TikTok, so is it far-fetched to imagine that X might soon be next? We'll just have to play the waiting game and see those cards unfold.

In the words of TJ McIntyre, associate professor at the Sutherland School of Law, University College Dublin, Ireland - "it's not impossible that one state could attempt to criminalize offering a service to another state. This is already happening with porn sites facing bans in some states (which may or may not be upheld by the courts)."

The ban's global impact goes beyond Brazil. The standoff between national governments and global tech platforms regarding content regulation and legal jurisdiction is veering towards a tipping point, and Brazil's brazen move may herald the beginning of considerable shifts in social media governance worldwide. Stay tuned, folks – it's going to be quite the show!