New episode of the standoff between the Brazilian authorities and Elon Musk. While the social network X (ex-Twitter) belonging to the billionaire was suspended in Brazil by the courts, a technical trick allowed the social network to make its comeback on Wednesday.
A judge of the Supreme Court of Brazil ordered this Thursday that the platform X once again blocks access to its platform to Brazilian users, under penalty of a daily fine of approximately 820,000 euros. Magistrate Alexandre de Moraes affirms that X ” has been recalcitrant, unlawfully, persistently and with the intention of not respecting judicial orders ” and imposes a fine of 5 million reais per day until the suspension of the platform is reinstated.
The suspension of the platform in Brazil, where it had some 22 million users, has sparked a heated debate in Latin America’s largest country and beyond about the limits of free speech on social media. X’s reinstatement puts Supreme Court justices ” in failure »for Alexandre Caramelo, professor of telecommunications at the Getulio Vargas Foundation. This proves that they don’t know what they are doing. » et « ignore what is technically possible ” he told AFP.
According to Brazilian telecommunications agency Anatel, the network has demonstrated ” deliberate intention to circumvent the Supreme Court order “, assuring that she would take ” the necessary measures in the event of further attempts to circumvent the suspension “For his part, X assured Wednesday evening that the restoration of his service was an effect ” “involuntary” of a server change and would remain ” temporary ».
X blocked in Brazil: do states have no other choice than force?
As a reminder, on August 30, a Supreme Court judge, Alexandre de Moraes, ordered the suspension of X in Brazil. He notably criticizes the American billionaire’s platform for having ignored a series of judicial decisions related to the fight against disinformation. In detail, this magistrate has given himself the mission of cleaning up the Brazilian web. He thus asked X to delete the accounts of personalities, mainly from the far right, forming a ” digital militia “But the billionaire, who considers himself a defender of freedom of expression – and also supports the former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro – refused to comply with this order.
IP addresses that are constantly changing
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Some Brazilians were surprised on Wednesday to once again have access to the mobile application of the old Twitter via cellular network and Wi-Fi, while for other users access remained impossible, even if this is not likely to last very long:
« Thanks to the support of telecommunications operators and the (cybersecurity) company Cloudfare, it was possible to identify a mechanism that, we hope, (…) will be able to restore the blockage ” access to the platform, Anatel said.
It was the Brazilian Association of Internet Service Providers (Abrint), an industry group, that explained how the partial takeover of X had been technically possible. Application X was updated (…) overnight, resulting in a significant change in its structure ” she said in a statement.
Bluesky, a refuge for X (Twitter) orphans… but not for advertisers
According to Abrint, X’s use of Cloudflare, a cybersecurity company that uses constantly changing IP addresses, ” makes blocking the app much more complicated ” Previously, IP addresses (which identify Internet users’ devices) were fixed and easily blocked. However, ” Many of these IP addresses are shared with other legitimate services, such as banks and large platforms, making it impossible to block an IP without affecting other services “, the association explained.
From magic
At night, when the application was automatically updating for some Brazilians, Elon Musk wrote on his account: ” Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from the technology” – a variation on a known formula, seen as a ” provocation ” by the Brazilian press. The billionaire had castigated the suspension, calling it ” dictator ” Judge Moraes. The Brazilian right led by the former head of state Jair Bolsonaro had followed in his footsteps.
The latter, who displays his closeness to the entrepreneur, was quick to post again on X. I congratulate all those who have pushed to defend democracy in Brazil. “, said Jair Bolsonaro, affirming that ” By banning the country’s largest social network, it was not a company that was punished, but millions of Brazilians ».
The suspension had, however, been supported by the government of left-wing President Lula, in the name of respect for the law. Contacted by AFP, the secretary in charge of digital affairs at the Brazilian presidency, Joao Brant, declined to comment. Some users, however, had fun. The hashtags ” He came back » or « Cloudflare » were among the most used on Wednesday in Brazil.
By blocking the network, Judge Moraes had also provided for fines of 50,000 reais (around 8,000 euros) per day for people who resorted to ” technological subterfuges » to circumvent the blockage, such as using virtual private networks (VPNs).
DSA violations: “The European Commission must strike hard against X”
In Europe, the situation is also tense with the social network. In December, Brussels opened a formal investigation against X, suspected of failing to meet its obligations in the fight against disinformation. The list of grievances was particularly long. The low number of moderators, an ineffective system for reporting illegal content and insufficient warning messages against violent images were notably highlighted. After buying Twitter in 2022, Elon Musk carried out a massive wave of layoffs that decimated the moderation teams. He defends a radical vision of freedom of expression, rejecting any form of censorship, even if he assures that he wants to respect the laws of each country.
(With AFP)
– What are the main reasons behind the recent suspension of X (formerly Twitter) in Brazil?
New Episode in the Standoff between Brazilian Authorities and Elon Musk: X (ex-Twitter) Faces Another Suspension
In a dramatic turn of events, the social network X (formerly Twitter), owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has once again been blocked in Brazil by the courts. This comes after a technical trick allowed the platform to make a brief comeback on Wednesday. The latest move is a significant escalation in the ongoing standoff between Brazilian authorities and Elon Musk, sparking heated debates about the limits of free speech on social media.
Background of the Controversy
The controversy began on August 30, when a Supreme Court judge, Alexandre de Moraes, ordered the suspension of X in Brazil. The judge criticized the platform for ignoring a series of judicial decisions related to the fight against disinformation. Specifically, Moraes asked X to delete the accounts of far-right personalities, which he deemed to be part of a “digital militia.” Elon Musk, who considers himself a defender of freedom of expression, refused to comply with this order.
Technical Trickery
On Wednesday, some Brazilians were surprised to find that they once again had access to the mobile application of X via cellular network and Wi-Fi. However, this was short-lived, as the Brazilian telecommunications agency Anatel quickly identified the mechanism used by X to circumvent the blockage. Anatel stated that X had demonstrated a “deliberate intention to circumvent the Supreme Court order” and assured that they would take “the necessary measures in the event of further attempts to circumvent the suspension.”
IP Addresses and Cloudflare
The Brazilian Association of Internet Service Providers (Abrint) explained that X’s use of Cloudflare, a cybersecurity company, made blocking the app more complicated. Cloudflare uses constantly changing IP addresses, which makes it difficult to block the app without affecting other legitimate services. According to Abrint, this is what allowed X to make a brief comeback.
Reaction from Brazilian Authorities and Elon Musk
Judge Moraes slammed X, stating that the platform “has been recalcitrant, unlawfully, persistently, and with the intention of not respecting judicial orders.” He imposed a fine of 5 million reais per day until the suspension of the platform is reinstated. Elon Musk, on the other hand, wrote on his account, “Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology,” which was seen as a provocation by the Brazilian press.
Government Response and International Implications
The Brazilian government, led by left-wing President Lula, supported the suspension, citing respect for the law. However, the situation has sparked concerns about the limits of free speech on social media, not only in Brazil but also globally. In Europe, the European Commission has opened a formal investigation against X, suspected of failing to meet its obligations in the fight against disinformation.
Conclusion
The standoff between Brazilian authorities and Elon Musk has reached a new level, with X facing another suspension and fines. The controversy raises important questions about the role of social media in promoting democracy and fighting disinformation. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how this will impact the global debate on free speech and online regulation.
Keywords: Elon Musk, Twitter, X, Brazil, Supreme Court, free speech, social media, disinformation, Cloudflare, IP addresses, telecommunications, Anatel, European Commission
X’s Comeback in Brazil: A Game of Cat and Mouse Between Elon Musk and Brazilian Authorities
The standoff between Elon Musk and Brazilian authorities has reached a new level, with the social network X (formerly Twitter) belonging to the billionaire being suspended in Brazil by the courts, only to make a brief comeback through a technical trick. However, a Supreme Court judge has once again ordered the platform to block access to Brazilian users, sparking a heated debate about the limits of free speech on social media.
The Judge’s Ruling
On Thursday, Judge Alexandre de Moraes of the Supreme Court of Brazil ordered X to block access to its platform to Brazilian users, under penalty of a daily fine of approximately 820,000 euros. The judge accused X of being “recalcitrant, unlawful, persistent, and intentional in not respecting judicial orders” and imposed a fine of 5 million reais per day until the suspension is reinstated.
X’s Comeback
Despite the initial suspension, X managed to make a comeback on Wednesday, with some Brazilians regaining access to the mobile application via cellular network and Wi-Fi. However, this was short-lived, as Anatel, the Brazilian telecommunications agency, worked with telecommunications operators and cybersecurity company Cloudfare to identify a mechanism to restore the blockage.
Technical Trickery
The brief comeback was possible due to X’s use of Cloudflare, a cybersecurity company that uses constantly changing IP addresses. This made it difficult for authorities to block the app, as many of these IP addresses are shared with other legitimate services, such as banks and large platforms. X’s use of Cloudflare was seen as a way to circumvent the Supreme Court order.
A Game of Cat and Mouse
The standoff between Elon Musk and Brazilian authorities has become a game of cat and mouse, with each side trying to outmaneuver the other. Musk has been vocal about his opposition to the suspension, calling it “dictatorship” and sparking a heated debate about freedom of expression. The Brazilian right, led by former President Jair Bolsonaro, has followed in Musk’s footsteps, with Bolsonaro posting again on X after the brief comeback.
Implications
The suspension of X in Brazil has sparked a wider debate about the limits of free speech on social media. With over 22 million users in Brazil, the platform has become an important means of communication and expression. The question remains: do states have no other choice than to force social media platforms to comply with their rules and regulations?
What are the main reasons behind the recent suspension of X (formerly Twitter) in Brazil?
The recent suspension of X in Brazil was prompted by the platform’s failure to comply with a series of judicial decisions related to the fight against disinformation. Specifically, a Supreme Court judge, Alexandre de Moraes, had ordered X to delete the accounts of personalities, mainly from the far right, forming a “digital militia.” However, Musk refused to comply with this order, sparking a heated debate about freedom of expression and the limits of social media
