On August 17, 2024, Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, once known as Twitter, made a bold and unexpected move: It announced it would pull its operations from Brazil, ‘effective immediately.’ This decision came in response to what X called ‘censorship orders’ issued by Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes. The sudden withdrawal of X from one of the world’s largest social media markets makes evident a growing clash between global tech companies and national governments over issues like content moderation and free speech. This action is more than just a business decision; it reflects deeper tensions about how online platforms should handle local laws and regulations. The consequences of X’s departure from Brazil are significant and complex. They extend beyond the immediate disruption for users and businesses to broader questions about the balance of power between tech giants and governments.
“Brazilian Voldemort”
One of the world’s most talked-about billionaires and a controversial figure, Mr. Elon Musk, needs no introduction. Judge Alexandre de Moraes, compared by Musk to the villain of the Harry Potter series, is not so well-known, on the other hand.
Alexandre de Moraes joined Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court in 2017 and has led Brazil’s electoral tribunal since 2022. He is well-known for his attempts to stave off what he considers challenges to the nation’s democracy. Two years into this tenure at the Supreme Court, Judge de Moraes started investigating Brazil’s so-called “digital militias,” which spread fake news for political or ideological reasons and have targeted court members with verbal attacks. Back in March 2022, he ordered Telegram to be suspended in Brazil because it allegedly failed to stop misinformation or fake news.
Understanding the feud
In April 2024, Elon Musk and Justice Alexandre de Moraes started a disagreement about X. The social media platform’s government affairs page said that it had to block some well-known accounts in Brazil. However, they didn’t know why these accounts were blocked or what specific posts broke Brazilian laws. The page also said that it couldn’t share which court or judge gave the order to block the accounts. In contrast, Mr. Musk mentioned Mr. de Moraes directly in a later post and said that X was told to stop certain members of Brazil’s parliament and important journalists from using the platform.
After Mr. Musk announced he would restore the accounts that Mr. de Moraes had told him to block, the judge decided to threaten the tech mogul with an investigation into X. The investigation accused Mr. Musk of blocking justice and encouraging illegal actions.
The SpaceX founder also claimed that X had to act like these suspensions were because of X’s own rules, not because of the court order. Mr. Musk shared pictures of a document that he said was signed by Mr. de Moraes. The document stated that if X didn’t fully follow the judge’s orders, X’s representative in Brazil, Rachel Nova Conceição, would face a daily fine equivalent to $3,653 dollars and could be arrested.
Musk versus internet censorship
This is not the first time Mr. Musk has fought with a political figure over what he sees as an attack on the freedom of speech.
Around the time his tussle with Alexandre de Moraes started, Elon Musk also criticized Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a tweet. Mr. Musk was upset because the Prime Minister and Australian regulators asked X to remove some disturbing videos from a stabbing at a Sydney church. Elon Musk argued that this request was a form of censorship.
The disagreement started when Australia’s eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, told X to remove these violent videos, 65 posts to be precise. If X didn’t comply, they faced a large daily fine of A$785,000. X agreed to remove the videos for users in Australia but disagreed with having to block them for everyone worldwide. In June 2024, the commissioner decided to drop the case. X reacted by stating that ‘free speech prevailed.’
The aftermath
Now that X has stopped operating in Brazil, even though Brazilian citizens will not lose access to it, several consequences might crop up. First, the company’s absence means no local support or moderation, which can lead to problems like increased spam, misinformation, or harassment without proper oversight. Businesses, advertisers, and social media influencers who used X for marketing might have a hard time, considering they have lost a key channel for reaching their audience and may see a drop in engagement and sales. What’s more, the lack of local support can affect the platform’s relevance and responsiveness to regional issues, making it less effective for Brazilian users who might feel disconnected from global conversations. This move can also prompt users to turn to other platforms, potentially shifting the social media landscape and changing how information is shared and consumed in Brazil. According to the Washington Post, Brazil was the fourth-largest market for X, with nearly 20 million users at the beginning of 2023. The overall impact depends on how well users adapt to these changes, and how they adjust their social media habits in response to the platform’s reduced presence.
In closing…
The departure of X from Brazil is a sad reminder of the challenging balance between technology and politics. While conflicts between political powers and tech giants are inevitable, it is truly important to join efforts to minimize their impact on people’s lives. When a major platform like X steps back from a significant market like Brazil, it can disrupt communication, limit access to digital services, and create economic ripple effects. These disruptions can affect not only individual users who lose a crucial communication tool, but also local businesses that depend on the platform for growth and outreach. It is essential to address these conflicts with care, aiming to protect users’ rights and avoid financial loss. Mr. Musk said in a post that, due to the shutdown, X will probably lose all revenue in Brazil. Whether competing social media platforms will benefit from the empty space left by X remains to be seen.
