Musk challenges Moraes and evaluates restoring banned profiles on X

Elon Musk, owner of Brazil at the request of the Judiciary, but whose form and reasons were considered illegal.

The news released by the billionaire through his X account, in response to a question made by journalist Paulo Figueiredo Filho, exiled in the United States, was supported by many Brazilian users. They also celebrated and endorsed with more information parliamentarians affected by measures from the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) and STF, such as deputies Marcel Van Hattem (Novo-RS) and Gustavo Gayer (PL-GO).

Van Hattem congratulated Musk for his courage and asked: “And now, Alexandre de Moraes, what are you going to do?” According to the parliamentarian, the revelations released by the report by American journalist Michael Shellenberger, in the scandal now known as “Twitter files – Brazil”, with the collaboration of People’s Gazettethousands of journalists, politicians and Brazilian citizens can benefit.

The content found was released last Wednesday (3). In revealed emails, legal consultants question demands from the TSE and other courts and bodies, such as the Public Ministry, which contradict Brazilian legislation, including the Marco Civil da Internet, and which would constitute, in the lawyers’ opinion, “evidence fishing” and “violation of privacy”. In one case, for example, authorities requested data from users who had posted hashtags in defense of auditable printed voting.

In his strongest message, Musk said he was “lifting all restrictions”. “This judge (Alexandre de Moraes) imposed heavy fines, threatened to arrest our employees and cut off access to X in Brazil,” he noted. “As a result, we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and will have to close our office there,” he added. Finally, the businessman recalled that “principles matter more than profit”. He also posted an institutional message in defense of freedom of expression (free speech).

The platform’s institutional relations department also spoke out this Saturday (4), saying that it was forced to block popular accounts in Brazil without knowing the reasons for these blocks or on what legal basis they were requested. He also stated that they were prohibited from saying which court or judge ordered these procedures to be carried out, under threats of fines and other sanctions. In any case, X believes that Moraes’ decisions are not in accordance with the Civil Framework or the Constitution. “The Brazilian people have the right to freedom of expression”, says the note.

Earlier, Elon Musk had responded to a post by Alexandre de Moraes with a provocation. In the publication that the STF minister made to congratulate the inauguration of Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski, on January 11, the businessman took the opportunity to amend a question, about why Moraes “demands so much censorship in Brazil”. The clash generated several reactions, both in support of the opposition and protests by government supporters.