Elon Musk calls for Brazilian SC judge's ouster after accusing him of censorship, faces probe

Elon Musk has a history of getting into tussles with people all over the world, for some reason or the other. In the latest episode of Elon Musk picking a fight with someone, the tech billionaire has taken on a Brazilian Supreme Court judge and called for his removal, saying that the judge has “brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil”

In response, the judge is now going after Elon Musk in an ongoing investigation for spreading fake news. He has also ordered to launch a separate probe into Musk for alleged obstruction of Justice.

Musk calls for SC judge’s impeachment
It all began a couple of days ago when Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a judge with the Supreme Court of Brazil ordered certain accounts on X to be taken down for spreading misinformation, or face a fine of $20,000 per account.

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To this, Musk responded by going a tirade against the judge and suggested that Moraes should be impeached. He also accused Moraes of threatening to “cut off access” and suggested that X will lose all revenue from Brazil and may have to shut down its office there.

Justice Moraes came down heavily on Musk, accusing him of conducting a “disinformation campaign” and defying court orders through his social media company X. Following this, he ordered Elon Musk to be investigated thoroughly for spreading misinformation

The case against Musk
The investigation stems from concerns over digital militias spreading defamatory fake news and threats against Supreme Court justices in Brazi. Justice De Moraes emphasized Musk’s alleged obstruction of Brazilian justice and incitement of disobedience, stating that such actions disrespect the country’s sovereignty.

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Critics of de Moraes, particularly from Brazil’s political right, argue that his actions suppress free speech and amount to political persecution.

However, supporters defend his decisions as necessary to combat fake news and protect Brazilian democracy, especially following a 2023 uprising that was similar to the January 6 capitol riots.

Among his supporters in this issue, is Brazil’s attorney general, Jorge Messias who claimed that it was urgent for Brazil to regulate social media platforms. “We cannot live in a society in which billionaires domiciled abroad have control of social networks and put themselves in a position to violate the rule of law, failing to comply with court orders and threatening our authorities. Social peace is non-negotiable,” wrote on X.

Elon Musk and free speech
Although Musk is very vocal in his support of absolute free speech, his actions have suggested otherwise. Having said that, this is perhaps the first time where he has openly challenged a sitting justice’s authority authority on X, and urged people to defy the Supreme Court’s orders.

Musk urged users to download VPNs in case Brazil decided to block the platform and vowed to publish all of de Moraes’ demands, claiming they violate Brazilian law.

De Moraes retaliated by warning X against disobeying court orders and threatened Musk with fines for reactivating blocked accounts. Brazil’s attorney general echoed concerns over foreign billionaires controlling social media platforms and disregarding the rule of law.

The situation underscores ongoing debates over freedom of speech versus regulatory control on social media platforms in Brazil, as the country grapples with the spread of misinformation and threats to democratic institutions.