Brazil don ban X, formerly Twitter, afta di platform fail to meet one deadline wey di kontri Supreme Court judge set, for am to name one legal representative wey dey operate for dia.
Alexandre de Moraes order “immediate and complete suspension” of di social media platform until e obey all di order wey court give am plus pay di existing fines.
Di gbas gbos between X and Brazil bin start for April, wen di judge bin give order make dem suspend plenty accounts for di platform for allegedly spreading disinformation.
But X owner Elon Musk reply say: “Free speech na di bedrock of democracy and one wannabe-judge for Brazil wey nobody elect dey destroy am for political purposes.”
About 20 million pipo out of Brazil 200 million population n aim dey use dis social media network.
By Saturday morning some X users dey report say had reported access to the platform was no longer possible.
Reacting to dis latest development, Musk post for X say: “X na di most used news source for Brazil. Na wetin di pipo want. Now, di tyrant de Voldemort dey crush pipo right to free speech.”
Earlier dis month X close im office for Brazil, unto claim say dem dey threaten im representative wit arrest if she no obey order wey e describe “censorship” – as well as illegal under Brazil law.
Justice Moraes bin order say dem must to block X accounts wey dem accuse of spreading disinformation – many na supporters of di former president Jair Bolsonaro – while dem dey under investigation.
Im say dem go hold di company legal representatives responsible if dem reactivate any accounts.
X bin face threats of fine for refusing to obey dis order.
Dis na di latest for di gbas gbos wey di X billionaire owner dey enta – im bin clash wit EU over regulation of X and earlier dis month e begin exchange words wit UK new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Di head of Brazil telecommunications agency, wey dey responsible to di suspension of di platform, say im dey “proceed wit compliance” to shutdown di platform, according to tori pipo Reuters news agency.
Justice Moraes also give companies like Apple and Google five-day deadline to remove X from im application stores and block im use on iOS and Android systems.
E add say di pipo or businesses wey dey VPNs (virtual private network) to access di platform fit chop fine of R$50,000 (£6,700).
According to di judge order, dis ban on X go continue until dem give di namea of dia new legal representative for di kontr and pays fines for violating Brazil law.
For one post wey e bin do from one of im official accounts, X say e no go comply wit di demands.
“Soon, we expect Judge Alexandre de Moraes go give order make dem shutdown X for Brazil – simply becos wey no comply wit im illegal orders to censor im political opponents,” di post say.
“Di koko of di mata wey dey ground here be say Judge de Moraes dey demand make we break Brazil own laws. We simply no go do am.”
Brazil freeze Starlink bank accounts
Meanwhile, bank accounts wey belong to Oga Musk satellite internet company Starlink inside Brazil, di Supreme Court bin freeze am earlier.
Starlink respond wit post on X wia im say di “order dey based on unfounded determination to make Starlink responsible for di fines wey dem sama – unconstitutionally – against X.”
Justice Moraes blow aft aim decisions to restrict social media platforms for di kontri.
Im dey also investigate Bolsonaro and im supporters for dia role for one alleged attempted coup on 8 January last year.
X no be di first social media company to come under pressure from authorities for Brazil.
Last year, dem bin ban Telegram temporarily for im failure to cooperate wit requests to block some profiles.
Meta messaging service Whatsapp also bin face temporary ban for 2015 and 2016 for refusing to comply wit police requests for user data.
- Authorities ban Telegram founder Pavel Durov from leaving France
- How YouTube, Meta copyright and monetisation policies dey affect creators
- Di pre-teen girls wey design app to fight food insecurity for Nigeria
