Disobedience of X Challenges Brazilian Justice Ahead of Elections
The company must cooperate with the legal process and appeal if it disagrees with decisions, experts say
The disobedience of X (formerly Twitter) to the decision of the STF (Supreme Federal Court) regarding the blocking of accounts on the platform violates Justice at a sensitive moment, with the approach of municipal elections and the possible scenario of disinformation, according to experts consulted by Folha.
According to them, the company needs to appeal if it does not agree with the decision or the amount of the fine, but it must cooperate with due legal process. The risk, they warn, is that selective disobedience to decisions may disrupt the Brazilian democratic process, depending on what may be disseminated on the platform without assurance of its collaboration with Brazilian Justice.
This Saturday (17), businessman Elon Musk, owner of X, announced the closure of the company's office in Brazil and blamed Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, claiming that he threatens to imprison his employees and practices censorship. However, the network will continue to be available to users in the country. Without representation in Brazil, notifications for compliance with judicial measures and possible sanctions against the company become more difficult.
The announcement of the interruption of operations in the country followed a decision by Moraes that increased the fine imposed on X for failing to comply with a court order requesting the blocking of accounts and indicated possible accountability for the crime of disobedience.