A Brazilian Supreme Court justice, Alexandre de Moraes, has included Elon Musk in an ongoing investigation over the spread of fake news and has opened a separate investigation into Musk for alleged obstruction. De Moraes cited Musk's public "disinformation campaign" and comments suggesting that his social media company, X, would not comply with the court's orders to block certain accounts. De Moraes accused Musk of obstructing Brazilian justice, inciting crime, and threatening disobedience of court orders, which he considers a violation of Brazil's sovereignty.
The investigation into Musk is part of a larger probe into a network of individuals known as digital militias who are accused of spreading defamatory fake news and threats against Supreme Court justices. The new investigation will examine whether Musk engaged in obstruction, criminal organization, and incitement. As of late Sunday, Musk had not commented on X about the latest development.
De Moraes' actions have drawn criticism from Brazil's political right, who accuse him of overstepping his bounds and engaging in political persecution. However, supporters argue that his decisions are legally sound and necessary to combat fake news and threats to Brazilian democracy, particularly in light of the 2023 uprising in Brazil's capital.
In response to the court's actions, Musk announced on X that his platform would lift all restrictions on blocked accounts, a move he predicted would result in revenue loss and possibly the closure of X's local office in Brazil. Despite these claims, prominent blocked accounts remained inactive as of late Sunday, indicating that X had not yet acted on Musk's statements.
De Moraes warned against reactivating blocked accounts, stating that each reactivation would incur a fine of 100,000 reais ($20,000) per day, and those responsible would be legally accountable for disobeying a court order. Brazil's attorney general also called for the urgent regulation of social media platforms, stating that allowing billionaires abroad to control social networks and defy court orders threatens social peace and the rule of law.
+While Brazil's constitution guarantees freedom of speech, it is not absolute, and the government has the authority to regulate social media platforms to ensure compliance with the law.