Brazil's Supreme Court orders blocking of social media platform X

Justice Alexandre de Moraes of Brazil's Supreme Court has mandated a nationwide block on the social media platform X after it failed to appoint a legal representative in the country.

On Wednesday, de Moraes gave X, owned by Elon Musk, a 24-hour deadline to appoint a representative. X had closed its Brazil office on August 17, citing threats against its former legal representative.

The platform has been at odds with de Moraes for months over its refusal to follow court orders to remove profiles promoting coup-related content or undermining democracy, according to Xinhua news agency.

On Friday, the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court (STF) also fined X 18 million reais (approximately $3.2 million) for non-compliance.

The judge's decision to block X was based on the company's repeated disregard for court orders and its failure to pay daily fines. De Moraes accused X of attempting to evade Brazil's legal system and creating a "lawless zone" on social media, particularly with the 2024 municipal elections approaching.

De Moraes noted that X has facilitated extremist groups and digital militias, enabling the spread of hateful and anti-democratic speech, especially in the lead-up to the elections.

The judge has directed Brazil's National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) to block access to X within 24 hours. Apple and Google have been instructed to remove the X app from their stores within five days.

A daily fine of 50,000 reais (about $10,000) will be imposed on anyone or any company that attempts to access X using methods like VPNs after the ban.