Elon Musk Brings Attention to Brazil’s Dictatorship
Elon Musk stated, “We will likely lose all revenue in Brazil and have to close our office there. But principles matter more than profit.”
Commentary
A coordinated effort supported by the Brazilian government is compelling high-tech companies like Google, Facebook, Uber, Instagram, and WhatsApp to disclose registration data and engage in unlawful censorship.
Leading this extensive censorship campaign is Alexandre de Moraes, president of the Superior Electoral Court and a justice of the Supreme Federal Court.
Mr. Moraes is at the forefront of suppressing all political dissent in Brazil, even going as far as imprisoning individuals for content shared online.
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“Moraes illegally requested private information from Twitter about users he deemed inappropriate. He demanded access to Twitter’s internal data, violating the platform’s policies.
“He unilaterally censored posts on Twitter by Brazilian Congress members without due process. And Moraes attempted to exploit Twitter’s content moderation policies against supporters of then-president Jair Bolsonaro.”
For daring to question these actions, Mr. Moraes has initiated an investigation by the federal police against Mr. Musk.
Mr. Moraes has also insisted on including Mr. Musk in a “fake news” inquiry, accusing him of intentionally using X to spread misinformation in connection with an investigation into misinformation on social networks.
In his ruling, Mr. Moraes demands that X “comply with all court orders issued.”
Despite Mr. Musk’s strong stance, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva recently awarded Justice Mr. Moraes the prestigious Rio Branco Medal, showing a lack of concern for free speech preservation.
As highlighted by Mr. Shellenberger, “President Lula da Silva is complicit in the march towards totalitarianism … Lula and Mr. Moraes are infringing on Brazil’s Constitution and the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.”
Built-Up Since the Election
This conflict between Mr. Moraes and Mr. Musk is just the latest episode in the Brazilian judge’s ongoing efforts to dictate the narrative and suppress dissenting voices on social media.
During the 2022 presidential campaign, Mr. Moraes instructed companies like Telegram, Facebook, and Twitter to remove numerous posts from their platforms.
He also sanctioned the detention of individuals without a fair trial based on social media posts accused of spreading misinformation.
In addition to these arbitrary detentions for expressing opinions, Mr. Moraes ordered the seizure of thousands of electronic devices and the freezing of numerous bank accounts.
He further commanded the nationwide suspension of Telegram for disseminating misinformation and compelled Apple and Google to block Telegram on their operating systems and remove the app from their digital stores in Brazil.
On August 23, 2022, the federal police executed multiple search warrants in five states targeting businessmen supportive of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Mr. Moraes ordered raids on their homes, suspension of their social media accounts, and freezing of their bank accounts.
These individuals were investigated over a couple of messages posted in their WhatsApp group expressing concerns about the return of President Lula, a socialist with a history of corruption.
“How did Alexandre de Moraes become the dictator of Brazil? He has Lula on a leash.”
By criticizing Justice Alexandre de Moraes, Mr. Musk is essentially combating judicial oppression and speaking on behalf of countless Brazilians who are now fearful to voice their opinions or challenge the official narrative.
Views expressed in this article are the author’s opinions and do not necessarily represent those of The Epoch Times.
