Brazil's Supreme Court Orders Suspension of Social Media Platform X

A Brazilian Supreme Court justice has ordered the immediate suspension of the social media platform X in the country. This development follows the company's failure to identify a legal representative in Brazil by a court-imposed deadline. The ruling also includes significant fines and measures to prevent bypassing the suspension using VPNs.

A Brazilian Supreme Court justice mandated the immediate suspension of social media platform X on Friday, following the company's failure to identify a legal representative in Brazil by a court-imposed deadline. This decision is part of a broader conflict involving Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and Elon Musk, which has also seen the freezing of Starlink's financial accounts in Brazil.

Justice Moraes demanded that telecommunications regulator Anatel implement the suspension order and verify its execution within 24 hours. To prevent the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) to escape the suspension, Moraes warned that individuals or companies attempting to maintain access could face daily fines of up to 50,000 reais.

X, previously known as Twitter, anticipated the shutdown following an expired deadline to appoint a legal representative. In response to what he viewed as censorship, Musk closed the platform's offices in Brazil but asserted that services would remain available. Concurrently, Starlink, 40% owned by Musk, sought to reverse a court order that froze its local bank accounts.

(With inputs from agencies.)