Brazil’s Top Court Justices to Vote on X Ban This Monday, According to Reuters

A five-member panel from Brazil’s Supreme Court is set to vote on Monday regarding whether to uphold Justice Alexandre de Moraes’ decision to shut down the social media platform X within the country.

Moraes, whom X owner Elon Musk has referred to as a “dictator,” has called a virtual session of the court’s first chamber, where he is a member, to allow his peers to evaluate his ruling.

The Supreme Court comprises 11 justices divided into two chambers of five members each, excluding the chief justice. They have the authority to affirm or reject a decision made by an individual judge.

Joining Moraes in the first chamber are justices Carmen Lucia, Luiz Fux, Cristiano Zanin, and Flavio Dino.

X was taken offline in Brazil, one of its primary markets, during the early hours of Saturday following Moraes’ order. This action followed a feud between Moraes and Musk spanning several months.

The popular platform failed to meet a court-mandated deadline on Thursday evening to appoint a legal representative in Brazil, as required by local law, leading to its suspension.

The conflict surrounding X traces back to a ruling by Moraes earlier this year, which mandated the platform to block accounts linked to investigations of alleged misinformation and hate speech.

Musk has contended that Moraes’ actions amount to unwarranted censorship and closed X’s Brazilian office in August, leaving the position vacant. Meanwhile, the judge has emphasized the necessity of regulating hate speech on social media.

Moraes’ recent ruling has found support from Chief Justice Luis Roberto Barroso. In an interview with a local newspaper published on Sunday, Barroso stated, “A company that refuses to name a legal representative in Brazil cannot operate in Brazilian territory.”