August 30th 2024.
It seems that X, a popular social media platform, is facing some trouble in Brazil. The country's top judge has ordered for the platform to be taken down immediately. This comes as a result of a feud between the judge and the platform's owner, the controversial tech tycoon Elon Musk.
The Supreme Court judge, Alexandre de Moraes, made the ruling after Musk failed to appoint a legal representative in Brazil. This has caused quite a stir as the platform has been accused of not complying with legal orders to block accounts that spread fake news and promote hate.
As a result, the judge has not only suspended the platform's operations but has also ordered them to pay a hefty fine of £2.5 million and appoint a new legal representative. It's not just X that's being targeted though, as Twitter users who try to access the platform through virtual private networks could face fines of up to £7,000 a day.
This suspension is to remain in place until the fines are paid and a new legal representative is appointed. The National Telecommunications Agency has been given 24 hours to enforce the order, which means they must pass it on to over 20,000 broadband internet providers who will then have to block X.
According to reports, the agency is expecting all companies to have the block in place by the weekend. This ongoing feud between Musk and Moraes started in April when the judge ordered for accounts to be blocked. These accounts were allegedly linked to "digital militias" who supported former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro's attempts to stay in power after losing the 2022 election.
The order also includes a freeze on the financial accounts of Starlink, a satellite internet provider owned by Musk's company SpaceX. If you want to stay updated on the latest news regarding this issue, you can follow The Agency on Twitter and Facebook. And for those who want to receive daily push alerts, you can sign up here to get articles sent directly to your device.
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