Brazil begins to block X as Elon Musk’s feud with judge deepens

Anyone trying to access X in Brazil was blocked on Saturday, after the country enforced a court-ordered suspension of Elon Musk’s social media site.

Over the past 24 hours, Brazilians, including President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, have been bidding farewell to X, with some posting links to their profiles on other social media platforms.

Attempts to access the site on a web browser or through the app on Saturday were met with an error message.

The blockage comes after Brazil’s Supreme Court on Friday ordered the suspension of X nationwide, because Musk refused to name a legal representative in the country.

Brazilian law requires companies operating in the jurisdiction to have legal representation. But X, formerly known as Twitter, shut down its Brazilian representative office on August 17 after Justice Alexandre de Moraes threatened to prosecute its local representatives over its reluctance to comply with orders to block users.

It further escalates a monthslong feud over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation. The Supreme Court previously issued orders to block multiple X accounts as part of Brazil’s sweeping investigation into the spread of misinformation online and hate speech aimed at undermining the country’s democracy.

De Moraes warned Musk on Wednesday night that X could be blocked in Brazil if he failed to comply with the order to name a representative, and established a 24-hour deadline.

He said the platform would remain blocked until it complies.

Musk has criticized de Moraes, accusing him of muzzling free speech in the country.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Friday that Musk must comply with the country’s laws.

“Any and every citizen from any part of the world who has investments in Brazil is subject to the Brazilian constitution and Brazilian laws,” Lula da Silva told a local news station.

He also pushed back against some of Musk’s comments, saying: “He can’t go around insulting presidents, insulting deputies, insulting the Senate, insulting the Chamber, insulting the Supreme Court. Who does he think he is?”

The president added: “That guy has to accept the rules of this country, and if this country made a decision through the Supreme Court, he has to comply. If it applies to me, it applies to him.”

The feud widened on Friday when the Supreme Court denied an appeal by satellite internet company…