Elon Musk's X suspended in Brazil over disinformation and legal issues

X, previously known as Twitter, has been prohibited in Brazil after missing a deadline set by a Supreme Court judge to appoint a new legal representative in the country.

Alexandre de Moraes ordered the "immediate and complete suspension" of the social media platform until it fulfills all court orders and pays the outstanding fines.

The conflict began in April when the judge ordered the suspension of numerous X accounts for allegedly spreading false information.

Reacting to the ruling, X owner Elon Musk said: "Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes."

The social media platform is reportedly used by at least 10% of Brazil's 200 million population.

Earlier this month, X closed its office in Brazil, citing threats of arrest against its representative if she didn't comply with what the company described as "censorship" and illegal actions under Brazilian law.

Justice Moraes had mandated that X accounts accused of disseminating disinformation, many of which are supporters of former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro, must be blocked during the investigation.

He stated that the company's legal representatives would be held accountable if any of these accounts were reactivated.

X has faced threats of fines for refusing to comply with this order, with both the company and Musk joining Brazilian critics in accusing the judge of having a left-wing bias.

This development is the latest in a series of disputes involving the tech billionaire, who has also clashed with the EU over X’s regulation and recently had a public disagreement with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

The head of Brazil's telecommunications agency, responsible for enforcing the suspension of the platform, stated that he is "proceeding with the compliance" to carry out the order, according to Reuters news agency.

The platform is anticipated to become unavailable in Brazil within the next 24 hours.

Justice Moraes has given companies like Apple and Google a five-day deadline to remove X from their app stores and block its use on iOS and Android systems.

He also warned that individuals or businesses using methods like VPNs (virtual private networks) to access the platform could face fines of R$50,000 (£6.7k).

According to the judge's ruling, the ban will remain in place until X appoints a new legal representative in Brazil and settles fines for breaking Brazilian law.