A judge has ruled that X/Twitter must shut down operations after not complying with government regulations © Jack Gruber / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK | © Guy Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
(New York, NY) – Brazil has joined a small group of countries, mostly authoritarian regimes, that have banned the social network X (formerly Twitter). The suspension, which took effect on Saturday, was ordered by Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes after CEO Elon Musk refused to appoint a legal representative in Brazil. The judge accused X of supporting digital militias spreading fake news and threats against the judiciary. Musk claimed the situation is censorship in a post on the platform saying, “X is the most used news source in Brazil. It is what the people want”.
X is popular in Brazil, with about 40 million users, representing one-fifth of the population. Other countries have also restricted or banned X temporarily, particularly during political unrest, such as Egypt during the Arab Spring and Turkey in 2014 and 2023. Iran also banned Twitter in 2009 following contested elections.
China blocked Twitter in 2009, just before the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, leading many Chinese users to turn to local platforms like Weibo. North Korea and Myanmar have also imposed bans on X, with Myanmar’s military junta restricting access after the 2021 coup.
In Russia, access to X was throttled in 2021 and formally banned in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine, though many Russians bypass the block using VPNs. In Brazil, users attempting to access X via VPNs face fines of up to 50,000 reais ($8,900) per day.
