The Brazilian Supreme Court ordered a nationwide ban on X after a prior order mandating the social platform to assign a local representative was ignored. Brazilians began to lose access to the site on Saturday, as the Supreme Court prohibited citizens from using virtual private network (VPN) software to circumvent the blockage, establishing fines of up to nearly $9,000 per day.
Brazilian Supreme Court Bans X, Imposes Fines for VPN Circumvention
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Brazilian Users Face Disconnection From X as Supreme Court Orders Countrywide Block
X is facing increased opposition from local regulators in Brazil, leaving their operations compromised in the country. An order was issued by Alexandre de Moraes, a Brazilian Supreme Court justice, ordering national telecom companies to block access to the X website and app functions due to the lack of representation of X in the country.
The situation leaves over 200 million Brazilians without access to the social network, that is popular in the country, but not as popular as X’s rivals Facebook and Instagram. On August 17, X’s Global Government Affairs Team announced that they would cease to operate in Brazil after refusing to comply with several censorship orders that threatened legal action for its legal representative.
In addition to the ban, the order also establishes fines of up to almost $9,000 for citizens using virtual private network (VPN) software to circumvent it.
The measure is considered an escalation of a battle that has pitted X owner Elon Musk against de Moraes, with the former arguing against the measure’s legality. However, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva supported the move and charged against Musk, declaring that every citizen investing in Brazil must comply with Brazilian laws and the constitution. Lula stated:
Just because you have money doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want. You have to accept the rules of the country and respect the Supreme Court’s decision.
Nonetheless, Musk has charged against Lula’s administration and de Moraes, stressing that they like “to wear the cloak of a free democracy, while crushing the people under its boot.”
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