Elon Musk has escalated his attacks against Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, calling for his arrest after the country’s high court upheld a ban on the X social media platform.
Fox Business reports that in a scathing rebuke, tech billionaire Elon Musk took to his X platform on Monday to demand the imprisonment of Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The statement came in response to the country’s high court upholding a temporary ban on the social media platform, formerly known as Twitter.
De Moraes deserves prison for his crimes https://t.co/8ECAlfqO2J
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 2, 2024
“De Moraes deserves prison for his crimes,” Musk wrote on X, intensifying the ongoing feud between the billionaire and the Brazilian justice system. The ban was initially imposed over the weekend after Musk failed to meet a deadline to appoint a legal representative in Brazil. The case stems from the country’s demand that certain accounts implicated in probes of alleged digital militias, accused of spreading misinformation and hate, be suspended.
Despite Musk’s protests, a court panel unanimously voted to maintain the ruling on Monday. This is not the first time the tech mogul has publicly criticized de Moraes. In a series of posts on X, Musk accused the justice of violating his oath of office, calling him a “criminal” and a “dictator.” He even went as far as dubbing de Moraes “de Voldemort,” a reference to the villainous character from the Harry Potter series.
The court’s decision has not only affected X but also Starlink, Musk’s satellite internet provider, which is 40% owned by the billionaire. The court has frozen Starlink’s financial accounts in Brazil as part of the ongoing dispute. X has alleged that de Moraes is demanding the platform appoint a legal representative in the country so that authorities have someone to arrest, further escalating tensions between the company and the Brazilian government.
The ban has left tens of millions of X users in Brazil struggling to find alternative social platforms to stay connected with the world. The situation has drawn attention to the delicate balance between free speech, regulation, and the power of tech giants in shaping public discourse.
As the battle between Elon Musk and the Brazilian justice system continues, it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold. The ban on X has not only inconvenienced users but has also raised concerns about the role of social media platforms in modern society and the extent to which they can be subject to government regulation.
Read more at Fox Business here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
