Brazilian Supreme Court Wins Battle Over Elon Musk

After three weeks of defiance, Elon Musk owned social media platform, X, has unexpectedly capitulated to the Brazilian Supreme Court. In a dramatic shift, X’s lawyers announced late Friday night that the company has complied with orders to remove accounts deemed a threat to democracy. This comes after Musk repeatedly declared he would not follow what he called “illegal censorship” by the court.

For weeks, Musk had refused to follow court orders, even closing X’s offices in Brazil and refusing to pay hefty fines. Brazil’s highest court responded by blocking access to the platform across the country last month. However, late Friday, X’s legal team informed the court of their compliance, signaling the company’s reversal of Musk’s earlier hardline stance.

The platform, once the battleground for Musk’s defense of free speech, now stands as a symbol of his retreat. X’s lawyers confirmed the removal of accounts flagged by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a prominent figure in Brazil’s battle to regulate online content. These accounts, the court claimed, posed a direct threat to Brazil’s democratic institutions.

X also agreed to meet additional demands, including paying fines and appointing a new representative for the company in Brazil. Despite these moves, Brazil’s Supreme Court stated on Saturday that X had yet to submit all necessary paperwork, giving the company five days to comply further.

This development deals a blow to Musk’s carefully cultivated image as a staunch defender of free speech, marking a notable victory for Brazil’s Supreme Court, particularly for Justice de Moraes. The justice has gained a reputation for his aggressive stance on regulating online speech, especially when it poses threats to Brazil’s democracy.

With over 20 million Brazilian users, X’s prolonged blockage created an opening for its rivals, including Threads and Bluesky, to gain market share. Every day that X remains offline in Brazil, it risks losing revenue and users to competitors.

In a twist, the same far-right commentators who once hailed Musk for his refusal to comply with Brazil’s court orders now express disappointment over his abrupt change.