Elon Musk Says Congress Has Inquired About X’s Actions in Brazil

Congress Asks Elon Musk About X’s Conduct in Brazil

April 11, 2024 TruthUSA

The owner of X contested a court order in Brazil that mandated the removal of specific accounts on the social media platform.

Social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, has been questioned by the U.S. House of Representatives for alleged illegal actions taken in Brazil, Elon Musk revealed on Wednesday.

In a post on the social network, the owner of X mentioned that they had received an inquiry from the House of Representatives regarding actions in Brazil that violated Brazilian law.

“There were hundreds if not thousands. This is getting spicy,” Mr. Musk added.

Further details about the inquiry, such as the identities of the House lawmakers involved or the specific information sought, were not provided by Mr. Musk.

The U.S. House and X did not respond immediately to requests for comments.

In a subsequent post on Wednesday, Mr. Musk, an advocate for free speech, asserted that X was being urged to “suspend sitting members of the Brazilian parliament and many journalists” from the platform.

‘Twitter Files Brazil’

It remains unclear which accounts were targeted by the block enforced by Brazil’s highest court, with no additional details disclosed by either Mr. Musk or Brazilian authorities about when the order was issued.

Nevertheless, according to a report published by investigative journalist Michael Shellenberger and colleagues David Ágape and Eli Vieira, titled “Twitter Files Brazil,” those affected by the order included current members of Brazil’s congress and journalists.

The report, which detailed over two years of correspondence between Twitter’s legal team and Brazilian courts, alleged that Brazil is “conducting a widespread crackdown on free speech under the direction of a Supreme Court justice” and that Justice de Moraes had demanded Twitter’s internal data in 2020 before the platform was acquired by Mr. Musk and rebranded.

Furthermore, the report revealed that Justice de Moraes had requested access to private information about Twitter users who used hashtags he deemed inappropriate.

The Supreme Court justice also allegedly instructed Twitter to de-platform individuals responsible for specific posts that he wanted censored without affording users the right to appeal or even view the evidence against them, according to Mr. Shellenberger and his colleagues.

As per the shared internal documents, Twitter in Brazil faced a $30,000 fine threat if it failed to comply with the orders within an hour.

Despite the directive from Brazil, Mr. Musk boldly stated on X last week that his company would lift all restrictions placed on Brazilian accounts affected by the Supreme Court’s order because they were unconstitutional.

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (L) and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes (R) attend a meeting at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on April 18, 2023. (Eraldo Peres/AP Photo) — Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (L) and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes (R) attend a meeting at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on April 18, 2023. (Eraldo Peres/AP Photo)

‘Principles Matter More Than Profit’

Mr. Musk further elaborated that the judge in the case imposed “massive fines and threatened to arrest our employees and cut off access to X in Brazil,” leading to a potential loss of all revenue and closure of the Brazilian office.

“But principles matter more than profit,” Mr. Musk emphasized to justify X’s stance.

Space X boss Mr. Musk also suggested that Justice de Moraes “should resign or be impeached” and accused him of consistently violating the constitution and people of Brazil.

Following Mr. Musk’s resistance to the court order, the justice announced that Mr. Musk would be probed for alleged obstruction of justice, criminal organization, and incitement, citing his conduct as a disrespect to Brazil’s sovereignty.

X risks facing a fine of 100,000 reais (about $19,740) per day if it fails to comply with the court’s directive.

Despite the reported inquiry from the U.S. House of Representatives, Mr. Musk remained unfazed on Wednesday, reiterating his criticism of Justice de Moraes by labeling him a “dictator.”

The tech magnate also stressed that while X respects the laws of Brazil and all other countries where it operates, it must refuse orders that contravene the law.

Justice de Moraes has been criticized for allegedly overstepping boundaries in censorship actions for some time, with accusations of political persecution being leveled against the Supreme Court justice.

In the previous year, he announced an investigation into former President Jair Bolsonaro for his alleged involvement in the attack on government buildings in Brasília.

Mr. Bolsonaro has refuted any allegations of misconduct.

Aldgra Fredly, Melanie Sun, and Reuters contributed to this report.

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