Brazil starts blocking Elon Musk’s X after company refuses to name local legal representative
Aug 30, 2024, 9:23 PM
A person poses for a photo signing into the Twitter website which is now displaying the new logo for Twitter, in an office in central London, Monday July 24, 2023. Elon Musk has unveiled a new “X” logo to replace Twitter’s famous blue bird as he follows through with a major rebranding of the the social media platform he bought for $44 billion last year. Musk had asked fans for logo ideas and chose one, which he described as minimalist Art Deco, saying it “certainly will be refined. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(Jonathan Brady/PA via AP)
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil started blocking Elon Musk’s social media platform X, making it largely inaccessible on both the web and through mobile apps early Saturday after the billionaire failed to name a legal representative in the country.
The move, which escalates a monthslong feud between Musk and a Brazilian Supreme Court justice over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation, came after Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the suspension on Friday.
To block X, Brazil’s telecommunications regulator, Anatel, told internet service providers to suspend users’ access to the social media platform. As Saturday morning after midnight local time, major operators had begun doing so.
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The company hasn’t had a legal representative in the South American nation since earlier this month. Foreign companies that operate in Brazil are required to have local representation to make sure someone can be notified of legal decisions and is qualified to take any requisite action.
De Moraes had warned Musk on Wednesday night that X services in Brazil could be shut down if he failed to comply, and established a 24-hour deadline. In response, the entrepreneur has fired back at the judge with insults and accusations of authoritarianism. De Moraes said the platform would remain blocked until it complies.
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