Elon Musk‘s social media platform, X appointed a legal representative in Brazil, according to the company’s lawyers on Friday. This in response to address a requirement from Brazil‘s Supreme Court for the platform to continue operating in the country.
Lawyers Andre Zonaro and Sergio Rosenthal revealed that their colleague, Rachel de Oliveira Conceicao, was selected for the role and her name has been submitted to the court.
Brazilian law mandates foreign companies to have a legal representative to manage their local legal responsibilities. X had a representative until mid-August, but following the closure of its offices in Brazil, it did not appoint a replacement. This led to a Supreme Court order in late August to block the platform, and access was cut off shortly after.
X’s lawyers also stated that the company has begun complying with the content removal orders, another condition set by the court.
The conflict began when Justice Alexandre de Moraes took action against Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, accusing it of failing to moderate content that allegedly promoted violence and spread misinformation, particularly following unrest involving supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
In April 2024, de Moraes included Musk and X in the “Digital Militias Inquiry,” an ongoing investigation aimed at combating online misinformation. The judge accused Musk of reactivating accounts that had been blocked without court authorization and obstructing efforts to regulate online content.
On August 30, 2024, Justice de Moraes ordered X’s suspension in Brazil, citing the platform’s failure to comply with the requirement to appoint a legal representative. This led to a full shutdown of X in Brazil, with major tech companies like Apple, Google, and local internet service providers blocking access to the platform.
Musk reacted sharply to the suspension, posting inflammatory messages on X targeting Justice de Moraes, including an image implying the judge would end up in prison. Musk called de Moraes a “dictator” and demanded his impeachment, accusing him of “censorship” and attacking free speech.
( with inputs from news agency Reuters)
Lawyers Andre Zonaro and Sergio Rosenthal revealed that their colleague, Rachel de Oliveira Conceicao, was selected for the role and her name has been submitted to the court.
Brazilian law mandates foreign companies to have a legal representative to manage their local legal responsibilities. X had a representative until mid-August, but following the closure of its offices in Brazil, it did not appoint a replacement. This led to a Supreme Court order in late August to block the platform, and access was cut off shortly after.
X’s lawyers also stated that the company has begun complying with the content removal orders, another condition set by the court.
The conflict began when Justice Alexandre de Moraes took action against Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, accusing it of failing to moderate content that allegedly promoted violence and spread misinformation, particularly following unrest involving supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
In April 2024, de Moraes included Musk and X in the “Digital Militias Inquiry,” an ongoing investigation aimed at combating online misinformation. The judge accused Musk of reactivating accounts that had been blocked without court authorization and obstructing efforts to regulate online content.
On August 30, 2024, Justice de Moraes ordered X’s suspension in Brazil, citing the platform’s failure to comply with the requirement to appoint a legal representative. This led to a full shutdown of X in Brazil, with major tech companies like Apple, Google, and local internet service providers blocking access to the platform.
Musk reacted sharply to the suspension, posting inflammatory messages on X targeting Justice de Moraes, including an image implying the judge would end up in prison. Musk called de Moraes a “dictator” and demanded his impeachment, accusing him of “censorship” and attacking free speech.
( with inputs from news agency Reuters)