‘Dead’: Country bans Twitter entirely after dispute

A bitter dispute between billionaire Elon Musk and one country has seen his social media platform wiped out and he’s not remaining quiet.

A stand off involving X, formerly known as Twitter, will see the social media platform blocked entirely in one country with fines of up to $13,000 for those who access it.

Brazil’s supreme court has ordered that X be suspended nationwide after it failed to meet a deadline to appoint a legal representative in the country.

Any individuals or companies who are found using the social media platform face fines of up to $R50,000 ($A13,000).

Since the news broke, billionaire Elon Musk has taken to X to rant about the decision to shut down Twitter in Brazil, while also sharing a number of user’s posts.

He reposted one user’s post that read: “The average income in Brazil is around $1400 a month. Brazilian citizens now face being fined over 528 per cent more than their monthly income, $8800 A DAY, simply for accessing.”

He claimed the oppressive regime in Brazil is so afraid of the people learning the truth that they will bankrupt anyone who tries, whilehis internet company Starlight also had its finances frozen in the country.

Elon Musk has taken to X to share his anger at the Brazil ban. Picture: X

He also rallied against the Brazillian judge’s decision to ban Twitter, writing that free speech is the bedrock of democracy but a judge “is destroying it for political purposes”, he claimed.

“They’re shutting down the #1 source of truth in Brazil,” he later added.

Musk also shared wild claims that X would be suspended in the US if the Demoncrats came into power, adding freedom of speech was under “massive attack” around the world.

It comes as the social media platform has been engaged in a number of battles with goverments across the world.

In April, Musk stepped up his war of words with the Australian government over demands the X social media platform remove videos of the alleged stabbing of a Sydney bishop, as the controversy around violent content spirals into a wider free speech debate

The situation in Brazil

The bitter dispute has been escalating after Musk revealed on Thursday that his Starlink company had its assets frozen in Brazil and it was being prevented from making financial transactions.

Then Brazil’s supreme court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered on Friday the “immediate, complete, and total suspension of X’s operations”.

The ban will only be lifted once court orders are complied with, fines are paid and a new legal representative for the company is appointed in the country. Musk has refused to comply with the request.

Elon Musk and Judge Alexandre de Moraes are locked in a bitter dispute. Picture: Etienne Laurent and Evaristo Sa / AFP

In a statement on the social media platform, X said it “would not comply with his [Moraes’] illegal orders to censor his political opponents”.

As a result access to the social media platform must now be blocked “throughout the Brazilian territory,” a source told AFP on the condition of anonymity.

After the decision dropped, the hashtag “Twitter is dead” started trending in the country.

Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency has just 24 hours to enforce the decision which means 20,000 internet providers across Brazil will be required to block X.

Apple and Google have also been dragged into the dispute, with Justice de Moraes ordering the tech giants to “implement technological barriers to prevent the use of the X app by users of the iOS and Android systems” as well as blocking the use of virtual private networks, the Guardian reported.

But Musk was defiant posting on X that people could access the social media platform from their phone online.

“No app is needed. Now would also be a good time to download a VPN in case you get blocked,” he added.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has been rolling out Starlink across the world. Picture: Sonny Tumbelaka / AFP

Starlink, which operates across the country but is particularly key in the Amazon, hit out at the move to freeze its finances, alleging the order “is based on an unfounded determination that Starlink should be responsible for the fines levied – unconstitutionally – against X”.

The feud kicked off in April when Justice Moraes ordered the suspension of a number of X accounts – a move that Musk labelled as censorship. An investigation was also ordered into Musk at the time.

Several of the X accounts that were suspended belonged to supporters of Brazil’s former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro. He had tried to discredit Brazil’s voting system in the 2022 election after he lost.

Social media platform X, formerly Twitter, will shut down its local operations in Brazil, owner Elon Musk said on August 17, 2024, although the service will remain available to Brazilian users. Picture: Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP

Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva posted a message after the ban on X with the addresses of his other social media accounts.

“Just because the guy [Musk] has a lot of money doesn’t mean they can disrespect you … Who does he think he is?” he said in a radio interview on Friday.

Earlier this month, Musk said he was closing down X in the country over what he claimed were “censorship orders” from Moraes, although users could still continue to access the social media platform.

The social media platform has been without legal representation since August 17.

Musk also responded to the Brazillian Supreme Court order by creating a photo depicting Moraes as “Voldemort and a Sith Lord,” a nod to the villains of the Harry Potter and Star Wars sagas.