Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has identified Elon Musk, the owner of X, as a focal point in an ongoing inquiry into the propagation of false information. Additionally, Justice Moraes has initiated a separate investigation into Musk for suspected obstruction of justice.
In his ruling, the Supreme Court justice stated that Musk initiated a public “disinformation campaign” regarding the court’s actions on Saturday. Subsequently, Musk continued with statements on the following day, indicating that X would no longer adhere to the court’s directives to block certain accounts.
Justice Moraes emphasized the severe nature of Musk’s alleged obstruction of Brazilian justice, incitement of crime, public threats of disobedience to court orders, and potential future lack of cooperation from the platform, all of which he considered disrespectful to Brazil’s sovereignty.
The new investigation aims to ascertain whether Musk was involved in obstruction, criminal organization, and incitement.
As of late Sunday, Musk has not issued any comments regarding the latest developments through X.
In a post on Saturday, Musk announced that the platform would lift all restrictions on blocked accounts, foreseeing potential revenue depletion in Brazil and the likelihood of the company closing its local office. He emphasized prioritizing principles over profit.
Subsequently, Musk advised Brazilian users to download a VPN to retain access if X faced shutdown and stated that X would publicize all demands from de Moraes, alleging that they contravened Brazilian law. He later described these demands as the most stringent of any country worldwide.