Brazil’s Attorney General’s Office (PGR) has called on the Supreme Court to throw out lawsuits challenging the recent ban on Elon Musk’s social media platform, X.
In the latest crypto news, the PGR argues that blocking X doesn’t infringe on free speech and says the lawsuits lack any legal footing.
This follows the decision by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who pulled the plug on X on August 30 after the platform refused to appoint a local legal representative – a requirement under Brazilian law. The move came after X repeatedly ignored Supreme Court orders to take down dangerous content, including misinformation and extremist rhetoric.
The PGR’s involvement was triggered when the Brazilian Bar Association and political party Partido Novo appealed the suspension. They also questioned the hefty $9,000 daily fine slapped on users trying to access X through virtual private networks (VPNs).
However, the PGR fired back, stating the appeals rely on a legal mechanism that can’t be used to challenge a Supreme Court ruling. According to the office, “It is not even theoretically admissible” to use this legal claim to challenge such decisions.
Justice Marques Nunes, who is reviewing the appeals, is expected to push the case to the Supreme Court’s plenary session, but not until after Brazil’s municipal elections in October. The court has already upheld Moraes’ decision once, on September 2, so all eyes are now on the next move.
This legal showdown between Musk and the Brazilian Supreme Court has ignited a firestorm in the political arena. Lawmakers have taken to the House floor, with some rallying behind Musk, framing the ban as a blow to free speech.
Conservative congressman Nikolas Ferreira, for instance, decried what he called a lack of transparency in the blocking of accounts. He questioned whether left-wing legislators had faced similar bans, noting his own accounts were mysteriously blocked after the 2022 elections, without access to case records.
But not everyone is buying into Musk’s narrative. Some lawmakers see his actions as a direct threat to Brazil’s sovereignty. Congressman Ivan Valente didn’t mince words:
Has any left-wing legislator had their accounts blocked? My accounts were blocked right after last year’s elections, and I don’t know why. I don’t have access to the case records.”
As debates rage on in Congress and across Brazil, the tug-of-war over X has clearly become more than just a legal battle—it’s now a test of both national sovereignty and the future of free speech in the country.
