Brazil’s Supreme Court has kept the ban on the social media platform X, which used to be Twitter, according to BBC.
The decision came after X failed to appoint a new legal representative in Brazil before the court’s deadline, leading to its suspension early Saturday morning.
Three out of five justices already voted to keep the ban, which means it will stay even if the other two vote against it, BBC reported.
The ban stems from a conflict between Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and X’s owner, Elon Musk. It started in April when the judge ordered the suspension of accounts for allegedly spreading false information, according to BBC.
Moraes asked a panel of judges to decide on the ban, causing debates in Brazil. So far, three judges, including Moraes, voted in favor of it, emphasizing that freedom of expression comes with responsibility, BBC explained.
Musk, on the other hand, criticized the decision, saying it harms free speech, BBC mentioned. Justice Moraes has given companies like Apple and Google five days to remove X from their app stores, and warned users who bypass the ban with VPNs that they could face fines.
Since the ban, many Brazilians have started using the platform Bluesky as an alternative, with even President Lula da Silva promoting his Bluesky account, BBC noted.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkmpe53l6jo