Millions of Brazilian social media users woke up to a shocker this Saturday. The popular platform X went dark, courtesy of Elon Musk’s rebellious streak against local laws. It’s not every day you see a tech giant like Musk taking on a country’s supreme court and, well, losing big time.
Brazil, boasting the fifth-largest digital population, was handed a digital blackout as X decided not to play by Brazil’s rules. Internet providers and mobile companies had no choice but to pull the plug after Musk refused to comply with local regulations. Users attempting to log in were greeted with a frustrating message: ‘Seems like you lost connectivity. We’ll keep retrying.’
With X out of the picture, Bluesky swooped in to take advantage of the chaos, gaining half a million new users in just two days. Felipe Neto, one of Brazil’s biggest social media influencers, reminded everyone about the importance of respecting local laws, even if you don’t agree with them. ‘Don’t forget, when you go to another country, you’re obliged to follow its legislation, even if you disagree with it,’ he emphasized.
The drama didn’t unfold overnight. This move was the result of a months-long battle between Brazil’s top court and Musk, who has never shied away from controversy. Alexandre de Moraes, a powerful judge, has been leading the charge against anti-democratic content flooding the platform since the January 2023 uprising in Brasília. Musk, known for his alliances with right-wing figures like Bolsonaro and Trump, didn’t take kindly to being told what to do. He accused Moraes of stifling free speech and lashed out with insults and memes, labeling the judge as ‘Voldemort’ and sharing a crude image.
The final nail in the coffin came when Musk ignored a 24-hour deadline to appoint a new legal representative for X in Brazil. This was after the social media giant had shut down its local office in mid-August. Moraes didn’t mince words in his ruling, condemning X for acting like ‘a no man’s land – a veritable land without law’ by allowing the spread of misinformation and hate speech. Shortly after midnight, Brazilian users found themselves cut off from X.
Musk, never one to back down, branded Moraes ‘a dictator and a fraud.’ Right-wing voices in Brazil rallied behind Musk, with congressman Nikolas Ferreira proclaiming, ‘I’m going to radicalize, even if I do it on my own.’ Musk responded by hailing Ferreira as ‘a freedom fighter.’
On the flip side, progressive Brazilians applauded the court’s decision. Left-wing congresswoman Erika Hilton didn’t hold back, stating, ‘If billionaires want to have companies that make billions in these parts, they need to learn to respect the laws. Long live the rule of law and national sovereignty.’ Hilton had already made her move to Bluesky, signing off with ‘See you there soon.’
In the end, Musk’s defiance led to a monumental social media shift in Brazil. While his supporters decry censorship, others celebrate a win for the rule of law. One thing’s for sure – the digital landscape in Brazil just got a whole lot more interesting.
Source: Theguardian