The nature of social media company X is reflected in the image and likeness of what inspires its creator: hate. Brazil’s response to Elon Musk’s anti-democratic agenda is a victory for democracy, ensuring that no one, not even the richest man in the world, can be held above the law.
X lost its operating privileges in Brazil, a country with the fifth largest digital population, after Musk refused requests to name a new legal representative in the country before a court-imposed deadline by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
In his ruling, de Moraes declared that individuals or businesses that are found to still be accessing X by using virtual private networks could be fined R$50,000 or $8,910 USD.
Musk, in his signature immature fashion following the ban, targeted de Moraes from his account with a following of 197 million, the most followed on the platform, calling him a “fake judge” and “Voldemort,” outright inappropriate attacks.
However, Musk, the self-proclaimed crusader of free speech, has become a prominent figure with Brazil’s far-right ever since the copycat insurrection in January 2023, when supporters of the losing candidate Jair Bolsonaro attacked government buildings in the capital of Brasília, contesting the win of current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
De Moraes led the courts in a valiant response to the anti-democratic challenges brought by disgraced former President Bolsonaro and his supporters online by limiting the reach of social media accounts that disseminated misinformation and called for further assaults on democratic institutions, angering Musk.
Musk appeared at first to defend free speech, all as a guise to take the side of authoritarianism and attack the rule of law. Now he is trying to convince a global audience that Brazil is under an oppressive regime that is silencing free speech rights, all in the name of undermining the Lula administration.
Musk has consistently gone out of his way to attack democratic processes worldwide, where a hateful, right-wing government in power would best serve both his personal and business interests, validating bigots like Alex Jones, Donald Trump and countless neo-Nazis by reinstating their platforms on his site.
Paulo Abrão, the executive director of the Washington Brazil Office, added that “Musk himself does not criticize dictatorial governments when his economic interests take precedence. His positions on Brazil are biased and are being used as a smokescreen for his business interests in the country.”
In the United States, Musk routinely shares election misinformation, preemptively alleging that there will be election fraud and spreading an AI-generated image of Democratic presidential nominee and current VP Kamala Harris speaking to a crowd at a communist rally, dog whistles that his eager, loyal far-right fans will echo far and wide.
His ability to do so stems from the First Amendment’s guarantee to free speech.
Unlike in the U.S., Brazil does not protect hate speech.
Those who whine about censorship and free speech rights use such complex ideas as covers for what they truly wish to achieve: the spread of hatred and violence. Musk will never be above this law.
Although the ban is crushing for many journalists, politicians and even fan bases who used the platform so frequently, those who agree with de Moraes know that this is an issue of sovereignty.
Not all is lost. João Brant, Brazil’s secretary of digital policies, posted, “It is worth remembering that the suspension is temporary, until the company complies with court orders, pays the fines due, and designates a representative in Brazil.”
This situation will persist as long as Musk deems his hubristic ego more important than abiding by the rules of Brazilian law.