Freedom of speech against censorship in Brazil on X Platform | Mashable.
Freedom of Speech against censorship in Brazil on X Platform
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| X. Credit: DogeDesigner @cb_doge |
Brazil has opened an investigation into Elon Musk over a potential obstruction of justice after the X owner said he reactivated accounts on the social media platform Brazil had ordered the platform to block.
The inquiry opened by Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Sunday follows a string of heated interactions between Musk and the Brazilian government. On Saturday, X’s global government affairs team announced that “court decisions” had forced the platform to block “certain popular accounts” in Brazil and would face daily fines (of up to $20,000, according to The Associated Press) if it failed to comply.
“We are prohibited from saying which court or judge issued the order, or on what grounds,” said the affairs team. “We believe that such orders are not in accordance with the Marco Civil da Internet or the Brazilian Federal Constitution, and we challenge the orders legally where possible.”
Barely an hour later, Musk said that he had lifted the restrictions in Brazil and has since instructed X users in Brazil to download a VPN in case the country blocks access to the platform. Musk also called for Justice de Moraes to “resign or be impeached” after claiming he was responsible for the order.
Heading Brazil’s top election court, Justice de Moraes has advocated for eliminating anti-democratic content posted online in the wake of far-right rioters attacking government buildings on January 8th last year. The Brazilian judiciary said that disinformation is “a singular threat to Latin America’s largest country,” having directed several crackdowns against hate speech, incitement, and fake news following the attack.
It’s unclear if the order for X, the site formerly known as Twitter, to ban certain profiles is linked to supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro or members of the far-right movement involved with the January 8th riots. The platform has, however, become a hotbed for misinformation and other harmful rhetoric since being purchased by Musk back in 2022, with the European Union recently criticizing X for failing to effectively moderate false news around the Israel-Hamas war.
“We cannot live in a society in which billionaires domiciled abroad have control of social networks and put themselves in a position to violate the rule of law”
The order and subsequent investigation into Musk comes as Brazil calls for “urgent” focus on social media regulation. “We cannot live in a society in which billionaires domiciled abroad have control of social networks and put themselves in a position to violate the rule of law, failing to comply with court orders and threatening our authorities,” Brazil’s attorney general, Jorge Messias, posted to X on Saturday, seemingly targeting Musk. “Social peace is non-negotiable.”
While positioning himself as an ardent defender of free speech, Musk has said multiple times he’ll follow the rule of law where required. In an interview with Don Lemon last month, Musk said that X has a “responsibility to adhere to the law” and would take down illegal content. Last April, Forbes reported that X has fully complied with over 80 percent of government censorship requests, compared to the roughly 50 percent that were accepted before Musk took ownership of the company.
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Fwiw, I'm Brazilian and I do support Musk on this one. He is in the right side of things and Alexandre did go too far and repeatedly disregarded our constitution. Of course, I doubt the events would be fully reported by The Verge, considering it basically hates Musk now. I would recommend understanding what the "Twitter Files Brazil" are, so you understand how this whole thing started.
ReplyDeleteWhat the fuck kind of language is this headline? You can't have "beef" with a country, you're in a fucking international legal battle. Don't infantilize the man, he is a fucking adult and should face the consequences as one.
ReplyDeleteThey already changed
DeleteIn a wild string of events, this Saturday X was forced by Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes to block certain popular accounts in Brazil. X was not given the reasons why or which posts are alleged to violate the law. X was prohibited from saying which court or judge issued the order, on what grounds, and were prohibited from saying which accounts were impacted. X was threatened with daily fines if they failed to comply.
ReplyDeleteElon quickly jumped into action by calling out Justice Alexandre de Moraes and asking why he was doing this. Per Elon, "This aggressive censorship appears to violate the law & will of the people of Brazil." Moments later Elon posted, "We are lifting all restrictions. This judge has applied massive fines, threatened to arrest our employees and cut off access to X in Brazil. As a result, we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there. But principles matter more than profit."
On Sunday Elon posted, "Coming shortly, 𝕏 will publish everything demanded by Alexandre and how those requests violate Brazilian law. This judge has brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil. He should resign or be impeached. Shame Alexandre, shame."
Alexandre opened an inquiry into Elon and X for “obstruction of Justice” and “incitement to crime.”
Today Elon stated the Brazilian government wanted X to ban Officials and Journalist and to pretend that the account suspensions happen because of X's rules, and not by the government. "We refuse to play this game." Elon then challenged Alexandre to a X Spaces.
He’s getting close to the line now, the one that separates “hey this seems like a good idea” from “I have to keep lying/winning, forever, or I’m falling hard”, crossed before him by Bolsonaro, cheeto, Bibi, quite a lot of them tbh
ReplyDeleteSo brave, defying Brazil. Defy India's speech laws Elon. If twitter was not already blocked in China Musk would bend himself into a pretzel bowing to government demands.
ReplyDeleteHe's such a vulgar right wing virtue signaler.
This is the guy who pretentiously said, on the Don Lemon interview: “Laws are put in place by the people, and we adhere to those laws. If you go beyond the law, you’re actually going beyond the will of the people.”
ReplyDeleteOf course the law is not always the will of the people. And he seems to follow his own ideas, more than “the will of the people”, in choosing which laws to uphold and which to ignore and belittle.
On the people’s side, but only when they agree with him~
he respects rule of law as long as he and his fellow right-wing crooks aren't the ones breaking it
ReplyDeleteI'm Brazilian, and I'm very curious how this will pan out. Justice Alexandre de Moraes is a bit controversial here, but so far, I've been keen on his decisions. One thing Moraes is known for is not being intimidated when he thinks he's right, so it's going to be very interesting if Musk follows through and doesn't just find something shinier to go after in a few days.
ReplyDeleteMaybe because the laws are not being followed in Brazil. What you do if the Supreme Court Justice is messing up? Who do you appeal to?
ReplyDeleteCan you clarify which laws are not being followed by the Brazilian Supreme Court?
DeleteIt is the responsibility of the Supreme Court to take care of that? What you or me are posting on X?
DeleteAnd if you ask why are you being silenced or why do you have to "silence" someone the answer is a "secret investigation". That is one of the complaints of the X Brazil, right? They had/have to "silence" too many accounts for no reason, because everything that comes from Moraes is secret/confidential.
Then I go back to my previous question. Something confidential starts on the supreme court, shutdown your account in Brazil, you ask why and the answer is that you are under a secret investigation, X/Twitter ask why and receives the same answer.
Who do you appeal to? You are already at the supreme court.
I think that Brazil is upside down.
It is primarily the posters responsibility.
DeleteIf what they post is illegal, they should put it down.
If they do not, the service hosting it should.
If they violate that order, it is a court's duty to judge if it should be enforced.
Yes, it is weird in isolation that the Supreme court is deciding if such and such account is infringing on the law, but how would you rather us proceed? There are already laws saying what is unlawful to post in Brazil, and when platforms such as Musk's do not act on it, they should be penalized for breaking the law.
I think that the problem is that the supreme court is saying that is illegal without saying why. And what if there is a lot of jurists saying laws are being bent by the supreme court or the same law being applied differently if you are "right-wing" or not.
DeleteAnyone in Brazil who doesn't like the government has to think hard before saying something for fear of being hunted down by the supreme court.
That sounds like something to be settled by the Brazilian people and their legal system, not by a social media site based in the United States.
DeleteThat’s a far too broad characterization.
DeleteThere’s definitely been judicial overreach, but this totalitarian State you’re describing is very far removed from Brazilian reality.
The court has definitely made it clear why it is illegal for these accounts to do what they did, and has done so in every one of these and other instances of blocking accounts.
Again, overreach has happened. But the pushback has been loud and ubiquitous, both online and elsewhere. His family was even harassed by Bolsonaro supporters directly, including at a Rome airport last July.
Not ideal to have so much power being exercised by the courts. But between the way the US institutions reacted to Jan 7 and Brazil's reacted to Jan 8, I’d pick Brazil’s any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
I'm not too clear on why you think a sovereign nation should have to explain its court decisions to a foreign company operating in its territory? X isn't a citizen, it shouldn't be privy to any details of a domestic legal ruling.
DeleteIf X doesn't like what it's been instructed to do, it doesn't actually have any legal ground to disobey that order. It can leave that market, and maybe it can even choose to sue the Brazilian government, but it can't in the meantime just say "screw you, we'll do what we want" simply because it doesn't like a sovereign nation's rulings on a domestic matter.
Musk's position might be easier to understand if he'd specified how the court decision contravenes Brazil's constitution and laws, but he hasn't done that yet, so for now it looks much more like he's testing what he can get away with in pursuit of his far right ambitions. Stirring dissent in a foreign nation is mighty fkn bold.
There's context to be given, I believe. Brazil was victim of a coup, which thankfully failed, and the Supreme Court is conducting an investigation on it together with the Federal Police (which is uncommon, yes, but so is having to investigate a coup.) Like in any investigation, parts of it are still secret and decisions already taken based on it might have to stay away from the public eye, at least for some time.
DeleteAnyway, considering those are usually decisions given by one Justice only, the one who was assigned by a random draw to head the investigation, it is still possible to appeal to the entire court, which is composed of 11 Justices. If you can't win a majority there, only then you're out of options. Apart from going to congress and trying to impeach the Justices, which is a different thing anyway.
The point is: there is still a possibility to appeal the decision. The billionaire, though, prefers to whine online because he and his legal team surely know the orders are not illegal and wouldn't win an appeal to the entire Court.
The country is (still) a democracy, with an independent judicial system and if what some people are posting on Twitter has actively helped leading people to invade the Presidential Palace and the Supreme Court, then yes, I believe the Supreme Court should be taking care of what some specific people are posting there. One can still criticise the government online without being afraid of any court orders against them.
Probably not a racist antisemitic transphobic American billionaire.
DeletePlease reconsider if "beefing" is an appropriate description here.
ReplyDeleteThey already changed
DeleteWho the fuck does that POS think he is to allow himself to call for the impeachment of a foreign administrator in a matter of interior affairs? Does he know nothing about sovereignty?
ReplyDeleteare we sure musk isn't just mad he doesn't have a brazillion dollars?
ReplyDeleteI hate that I laughed at that.
DeleteI didn't realize that Elon has his own news category here 😂
ReplyDeleteHa, he was grandfathered in… it’s not really their fault that they used to cover Twitter a lot, and all their shenanigans, and then a crazy person took over who also owns other newsworthy tech companies. It’s just unfortunate 🫠
DeleteOh yes, the biggest click driver is SO unfortunate for The Verge/Mashable.
DeleteIt's unfortunate for all of us that a right-wing loon who doesn't seem to care about the rule of law is in charge of a major social network. A site we like to follow getting a bit of extra engagement doesn't seem like a great tradeoff to me.
Deletethis is the same website that groveled at Musk being forced to buy Twitter to "stick it" to him.
Deletehttps://giphy.com/gifs/disneyplus-the-princess-bride-theprincessbride-J1vUzqdZJlh5AqBWxt
Deletemight need to expand your vocab bud.
DeleteLet me paint the picture for you: The Verge and all the Elon-obsessive were practically begging on the ground for the courts to stick it to Elon. "begging like a hungry dog" if you will
double post
DeleteHahaha, I did mean it’s unfortunate for us. Some days it’s easier than others to scroll by! The Verge/Mashable. has been very clear it get them clicks and engagement from us, me, you, and the Dork above, so I’m not too angry bout some “extra engagement”. Cheers
Delete* Who previously took over other newsworthy tech companies. And happens to be impeccably good at driving engagement.
DeleteWelcome to hell, Elon Musk.
ReplyDeleteJust for a tad bit of context: Brazil’s elections are not organized by the states and are not organized by the executive branch either.
ReplyDeleteTo combat interference by elected officials in the elections (I’m sure that will ring a bell), Brazil came up with an entirely separate branch of the courts called the “Electoral Justice System” that not only acts as the arbiters of election issues, but also organizes the elections themselves.
It’s these courts that register voters, organize the development and manufacturing of our electronic ballots, do the vote counting and publish the results from municipal to federal elections, in addition to being the courts that decide on election cases.
It’s a system that has its flaws, but has worked really well to curb election interference in the country, which was rampant and widespread.
I stand with 𝕏
ReplyDeleteJustice will be done, God does not abandon the righteous.
ReplyDelete🙏💪
DeleteI see few media talking about the event
ReplyDeleteA media não pode publicar nada a respeito, é coisa grande que está acontecendo. é melhor ficar isento. acredito que quando isso chegar ao fim irão publicar MUITO a respeito
DeleteFREEDOM OF SPEECH!!
ReplyDeleteBrazil will be free
ReplyDeleteLula 9 dedo e o Xandão Lord Voldemort vão cair, esses arrombados
ReplyDeleteKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
DeleteVocês são piada
Deletetá bom, apoiante de ditador sem nem entender o que ta acontecendo,
DeleteO pior cego é aquele que se recusa a enxergar.
É uma ignorância que só
DeleteBrazil and the United States, more UNITED than ever.
ReplyDelete💛💚💙
Delete🤍❤️💙
Elon Musk dando esperança para o povo Brasileiro
ReplyDeleteSo that's what's happening
ReplyDeleteEverything is going in our favor, in favor of freedom. amen.
ReplyDeleteamen
Deletegood headline
ReplyDeleteTogether we are stronger!
ReplyDeleteI stand with Elon and Freedom of Speech. 🇺🇸 🇧🇷
ReplyDeleteBrazil deserves better.
ReplyDeleteDon’t stop talking about this.
Freedom of speech is important!
😂😂😂😂😂😂🐂🐂🐂🐂🐂🐂🐂
DeleteO filhadaputa tá usando errado mesmo kkkkkkkkkkk
DeleteOu alguém te impediu de falar alguma idiotice? Mas nem o Monark impediram
Its concerning to hear that so many appeals from Brazil are stuck in limbo. The delays not only impact the parties involved but also highlight the need for a more efficient and balanced approach to addressing legal matters. Lets hope for a timely resolution that promotes fairness and clarity for all. #ResponsibleJustice
ReplyDeleteIt's clearly intended, they don't answer when are subpoenaed but demands fast response on contrary (like, 2 hours). With this MO, Moraes was responsible for the death of one of the inmates from Jan 8th who should be released two months prior for medical reasons and was ignored.
DeleteI am not the one attesting this, as below
Deletehttps://revistaoeste.com/brasil/moraes-e-o-principal-responsavel-pela-morte-de-cleriston-diz-desembargador/
True!
DeleteThe Brazilian president still has a case to arrest him, it’s just the corrupt Supreme Court that never looks at the case. Even though there were the ones that illegally removed his sentence
DeleteUnfortunately, there has been no law and order in Brazil for a long time. Brazil is lost. Brazil is lost and I don't think there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
DeleteIt’s very discouraging. Just look at who governs Brazil today, see how much Brazil has been completely hijacked by people who don't want the good, don't want growth, who are hindering Brazilians' freedom. Brazil is not a country to trust, not with this government.
DeleteWithout X, the media would have fed us whatever they felt like. Elon is doing the good work👏👏
ReplyDeleteNo wonder they're appealing so much, with bureaucracy like that it's enough to make anyone scream "ay caramba!"
ReplyDeletee don't say 'ay caramba' in Brazil. We say 'mas que caralho!'
DeleteMaybe the appeals are caught in the Brazilian traffic? 🚗 Hopefully they'll get someone to clear the road soon!
ReplyDeleteDo you feel accomplished when you comment dumb shit like this?
DeleteBrazilians we all love and respect you
ReplyDeleteFREE SPEECH IS FOR ALL PEOPLE
STAY STRONG
ELON IS A GREAT MAN AND WILL DO YOU RIGHT
Court's judgement is too slow .
ReplyDeleteThe court is intentionally ignoring things they don't care about.
DeleteThe court is deliberately freezing cases.
Deletethey work even sunday night to censor things... and to include elon in a "digital milicia investigation".
DeletePra soltar bandidos ,limpar a ficha dos corruptos e impor novas leis contra o povo, eles são rápidos, é sempre na calada da noite.
DeleteEstão se blindando.
https://imgur.com/a/naKfcyZ
Forty-two cases with unanswered appeals, not to mention the three motions for clarification awaiting a response. It appears that the wheels of justice turn at a snail's pace in that corner of the world.
ReplyDeleteThey turn at a snail's pace for anyone who is fighting against the New World order.
DeleteFacts though
DeleteUnacceptable! Over a year of waiting for justice
ReplyDeleteSo bad
DeleteIsto não é Justiça. Delinquência jurídica, chama-se.
ReplyDeleteA justiça brasileira é uma organização a favor do crime!
DeleteA justiça brasileira tem gente do bem!
DeletePor isso as pessoas do mal dominaram!
Sempre que o mal vê gente do bem, ataca e destrói!
Porém...
Mais adiante, o BEM SEMPRE VENCE O MAL!
NÃO TEMOS PRESSA, CONFIAMOS NO DESTINO!
Perfeito!! Muito bem denominado... temos a delinquência política tambem!
DeleteBot
DeleteBrazil's numerous pending appeals, some over a year old, indicate significant delays and bureaucratic challenges in the legal system.
ReplyDeleteIts concerning to see such delays in responses, especially when implications are involved. Its a reminder of the importance of timely communication and the need for all parties to uphold accountability and efficiency.
ReplyDeleteFree speech is very important 🇧🇷🇧🇷♥️💯
ReplyDelete🔥💪🏻❤️🤍♥️🔥
ReplyDelete😂 This is insane !
ReplyDeleteX is a power nowadays 💥
ReplyDeleteEvery country has to accept the fact !
A power to be reckoned with because it is Anchored In Truth.
DeleteIt sounds like Brazil is facing significant delays in the processing of their appeals and motions for clarification. These delays could potentially impact the legal proceedings and outcomes of those cases.
ReplyDeleteBrazil needs better, for sure!
ReplyDelete𝕏 Brasil's struggle with pending appeals underscores the need for timely responses. With 42 cases awaiting a reply and three motions for clarification, swift action is crucial for justice. 🇧🇷"
ReplyDelete🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷♥️💯
ReplyDeleteToo bad
ReplyDeleteWonderful
ReplyDeletethat’s crazy
ReplyDeleteHum
ReplyDeleteIt's concerning to hear about the backlog of appeals. Hopefully, they'll receive a response soon.
ReplyDeleteEverything is powerful on X.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds incredibly frustrating. I hope they receive a response soon to provide the necessary clarity.
ReplyDeleteWhat will do Brazil?
ReplyDelete𝕏 is the future of media.
ReplyDelete𝕏 is the source news
X is the source of searching truth
𝕏 is the best!
ReplyDeleteWhat's happening in Brazil
ReplyDeleteIt's unfair to them😥
ReplyDeletewhat happened?
ReplyDeleteTotal sham
ReplyDeleteSham on them
ReplyDeleteX embodies the essence of freedom of speech.
ReplyDeleteX all day
ReplyDeleteElon is really fighting a good fight
ReplyDeleteFreedom of speech is what they wish 🫡🫡
ReplyDeleteCool
ReplyDeleteBrazilian 🙄 🤔 🫡
ReplyDelete😳😒🤔
ReplyDeleteWhat happened?
ReplyDeletePois é né
ReplyDelete👍
ReplyDeleteX is exactly behind Brazil, and I really appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteA extrema esquerda tem prioridade e esquecem o “ resto “
ReplyDeleteWe stand for the truth
ReplyDeleteFinger crossed 🤞
ReplyDeleteX is the only platform with free speech 🎤
😱😱😱
ReplyDeleteBrazil deserves freedom of speech!
ReplyDeleteThey are getting crazy
ReplyDeleteO X jamais estará acima do BRASIL!
ReplyDeleteq q tu ta falando, cara? o X está dando suporte para o BRASIL!
DeleteEnemies of progressive
ReplyDeleteJustice does not exist in Brazil...
ReplyDeleteNós brasileiros pedimos socorro internacional 🇧🇷
ReplyDeletePara de ser burro, você poderia ser comparado a um indio que aceitou receber espelhos em troca de pau-brasil, o que eles querem é explorar e destruir nossa terra assim como destruiram as deles.
DeleteJust like the 2020 election court cases. Everything that's happening in Brazil is happening in the US
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, in Brazil, there are cases, in general, which have been pending for more than 15, 20, or even 30 years awaiting a solution. Unfortunately, we have a slow judicial system.
ReplyDeleteOur justice system is a shame, our constitution was torn apart a long time ago...
ReplyDeleteEu vejo como um experimento real dos globalistas para em um futuro muito próximo aplicar o domínio total sobre o mundo. " você não terá nada mas será feliz ", nem liberdade de reclamar.
ReplyDeleteThis is Brazil My friend
ReplyDeleteThey don’t support free speech
ReplyDeleteI know it’s not easy to get picked in here . Well can I offer you some help ??
DeleteWhy they doing this?
ReplyDeleteI know it’s not easy to get picked in here . Well can I offer you some help ??
DeleteAlguém precisa esclarecer que não é somente a liberdade de expressão que está sendo proibida no Brasil, a própria liberdade está sendo tirada de pessoas inocentes, que somente procuraram proteção no Congresso por causa de balas de borracha atiradas pela PF de helicóptero.
ReplyDelete