What's happened
Brazil has banned Elon Musk's social media platform X (formerly Twitter) after he failed to appoint a legal representative by a court-imposed deadline. This decision, made by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, has led to a significant migration of users to alternative platforms like Threads and Bluesky.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to The Independent, the ban on X was a culmination of a long-standing feud between Musk and Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who had previously threatened legal action against the platform for non-compliance with court orders. The New York Times noted that the ban left millions of Brazilians without access to their social network, emphasizing the platform's significant role in the country's online culture. Meanwhile, users have turned to Threads and Bluesky, with Bluesky reporting a surge in activity, indicating a shift in user preferences as they seek alternatives to X.
How we got here
The conflict between Elon Musk and Brazilian authorities escalated over months, centering on issues of free speech and misinformation. The shutdown of X follows Musk's refusal to comply with court orders, culminating in a nationwide ban.
More on these topics
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Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At 8.5 million square kilometers and with over 211 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the sixth most
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Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At 8.5 million square kilometers and with over 211 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the sixth most
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Twitter was an American social networking service that was rebranded as X in 2023. Established in March 2006, it grew to become one of the world's largest social media websites and the fifth-most visited website in the world. It was launched in July 2006.
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Elon Reeve Musk FRS is an engineer, industrial designer, technology entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the founder, CEO, CTO and chief designer of SpaceX; early investor, CEO and product architect of Tesla, Inc.; founder of The Boring Company; co-foun
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Alexandre de Moraes is a Brazilian jurist, currently a justice of the Supreme Federal Court.