Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, a prominent international legal firm, has petitioned the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to investigate the ban of Elon Musk’s social media platform, X in Brazil.
IACHR has authority over Brazil under the American Convention.
The petition follows a suspension imposed by Brazil’s telecommunications regulator on access to X in compliance with an order from Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
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The suspension stems from X’s failure to meet a court-imposed deadline to appoint a legal representative in Brazil, which triggered the regulatory action.
The ongoing feud between Elon Musk and Justice Moraes revolves around issues of free speech and regulation of social media content.
Musk has accused Justice Moraes of enforcing unjustified censorship, arguing that it stifles free expression. In contrast, Moraes maintained that regulations are necessary to curb hate speech on social media platforms.
In a post on X, Musk criticised the ban, stating, “They’re shutting down the #1 source of truth in Brazil.”
This legal battle poses significant risks for X, potentially causing the platform to lose one of its largest markets at a time when Musk is already grappling with declining advertising revenue.
Despite the suspension order, X was still accessible in Brazil late on Friday, though reports indicated that major telecom carriers planned to begin blocking access by midnight.
The conflict has also affected Musk’s other ventures in Brazil. Earlier this week, the bank accounts of Starlink, a satellite internet provider owned by Musk’s SpaceX, were frozen.
Justice Moraes has ordered X to comply with several court orders, including paying fines exceeding $3 million and appointing a local representative as mandated by Brazilian law.
Additionally, he instructed Anatel, Brazil’s telecom regulator, to implement the suspension, threatening fines for those attempting to bypass the block using VPNs.
In response to these developments, ADF International, known for its track record of winning over 1,703 cases since 2010, including 35 victories at the European Court of Human Rights, has urged the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to examine the issue.
ADF International argues that the actions of the Supreme Federal Court and Superior Electoral Court in Brazil constitute a violation of international law. They voiced their concerns in a statement posted on X.
