The Brazilian Supreme Court has confirmed its decision to suspend the popular social media platform X, Twitter, in a ruling on September 2.
According to reports from New York Times, a panel of 5 judges has supported the ban which Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled on Aug 31.
According to previous reports, the suspension came after Elon Musk defied a court order by refusing to appoint a legal representative for the company’s operations in Brazil.
Following the ban news, Musk criticized Justice de Moraes on X, accusing him of “illegal political censorship” and calling him an “Evil dictator.”
Despite these criticisms, the court has decided to back de Moraes’ decision, stating that companies, no matter how large, must follow the law.
Justice Flavio Dino, one of the justices involved, said that the social media platform cannot ignore Brazilian laws simply because of its global influence.
“X seems to believe it’s above the law, Economic power and the size of a bank account do not give rise to outlandish immunity.” Flavio Dino said
This legal dispute between Musk and Justice Alexandre de Moraes has been ongoing for months. The issue began with concerns about fake information spreading on X about the former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro.
According to the court’s ruling, X will remain suspended until it pays fines totaling over $3 million.
Additionally, any Brazilian who is caught using virtual private networks (VPNs) to access the platform could face fines of up to 50,000 reais, or about $8,900.
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