(Sao Paulo) The blocking of social media platform X in Brazil has divided users and politicians over the legitimacy of the ban, and many Brazilians have had difficulties and doubts about navigating other social media in its absence.
The shutdown of Elon Musk’s platform began early Saturday, making it largely inaccessible on both the web and mobile apps after the billionaire refused to appoint a legal representative in the country, missing a deadline imposed by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
The blockade marks an escalation in a months-long feud between Elon Musk and Alexandre de Moraes over free speech, far-right accounts and disinformation.
Brazil has been one of the largest markets for X, with tens of millions of users.
PHOTO CARLA CARNIEL, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes
“I feel like I have no idea what’s going on in the world right now. It’s weird,” wrote Chico Barney, a content writer and heavy X user, on Threads, a text-based app developed by Instagram that Mr. Barney used as an alternative.
Ana Júlia Alves de Oliveira, an 18-year-old student, explained that many young people like her no longer watch TV news or read newspapers, relying solely on social media platforms like X to get their information. Without that platform, she felt disconnected.
“I kind of lost touch with what’s going on in the world,” she said. “I’ve seen a lot of entertainment about it, too, so it’s a new reality for me.”
Forced migration
Bluesky, a social media platform launched last year as an alternative to X and other more established sites, has seen a significant influx of Brazilians in the past two days. The company said Friday it had seen about 200,000 new Brazilian users sign up during that period, and the number “continues to grow by the minute.”
Platform migration is not uncommon for Brazilians, who adopted Orkut en masse, and when Orkut went bankrupt, they happily migrated to other platforms.
X is not as popular in Brazil as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or TikTok. However, it remains an important platform on which Brazilians participate in political debates and is very influential among politicians, journalists and other opinion makers.
It’s also where they share their sense of humor. Many of the country’s most famous memes originated from X-rated posts before spreading to other social networks.
Judge de Moraes announced that X would remain suspended until he complies with his orders, and he also set a daily fine of 50,000 reais ($11,942) for people or companies using virtual private networks, or VPNs, to access them.
Some legal experts have questioned the motives behind the move and how it would be implemented. Others have suggested the measure is authoritarian.
The Brazilian Bar Association said in a statement Friday that it would ask the Supreme Court to review fines imposed on all citizens using VPNs or other means to access X without due process. The bar association argued that penalties should never be imposed summarily before ensuring an adversarial process and the right to a full defense.
A Friday search on X showed hundreds of Brazilian users inquiring about VPNs that could potentially allow them to continue using the platform by making it appear as if they were connecting from outside the country.
A decried blockage
“The tyrants want to turn Brazil into another communist dictatorship, but we will not back down. I repeat: do not vote for those who do not respect freedom of expression. Orwell was right,” right-wing MP Nikolas Ferreira, one of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s closest allies, posted before X closed. Elon Musk responded with an emoji suggesting his agreement: “100.”
Mr. Ferreira is a 28-year-old YouTuber who received the most votes among the 513 federal lawmakers elected in the 2022 elections. Mr. de Moraes ordered his social media accounts blocked after a mob of Bolsonaro supporters attacked Brazil’s Congress, presidential palace and Supreme Court in January 2023 seeking to overturn the election.
The former president said on Instagram on Saturday that X’s departure from Brazil was “another blow to our freedom and legal security.”
“This not only affects our freedom of expression, but also undermines the trust of international companies that operate on Brazilian soil, with repercussions ranging from national security to the quality of information that reaches our citizens,” Bolsonaro said.
On Friday, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva supported Judge Moraes’ decision and criticized Elon Musk for positioning himself as if he were above the law during an interview with Radio MaisPB.
“Any citizen, anywhere in the world, who has investments in Brazil, is subject to the Brazilian Constitution and Brazilian laws. Therefore, if the Supreme Court has made a decision requiring citizens to comply with certain things, they must either comply or make another decision,” Lula said. “Just because the guy has a lot of money doesn’t mean he can disrespect him.”
Ortutay reported from San Francisco and Biller from Rio de Janeiro. Associated Press journalists Mauricio Savarese and Felipe Campos Mello contributed from Sao Paulo.