Brazil’s Attorney General’s Office (PGR) has urged the country’s Supreme Court to dismiss legal actions challenging the ban on social media platform X. 
The PGR <a data-ct-non-breakable="null" href="https://horadopovo.com.br/pgr-defende-no-stf-arquivar-acoes-que-questionam-o-banimento-do-x/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" text="null" title="https://horadopovo.com.br/pgr-defende-no-stf-arquivar-acoes-que-questionam-o-banimento-do-x/">argued</a> that suspending Elon Musk’s social media platform does not violate free speech rights and stressed that the lawsuits against the ban lack legal grounds.&nbsp;
The decision comes after Brazil’s Justice Alexandre de Moraes <a data-ct-non-breakable="null" href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/brazil-supreme-court-bans-twitter-elon-musk" rel="" target="_self" text="null" title="https://cointelegraph.com/news/brazil-supreme-court-bans-twitter-elon-musk">blocked the platform</a> on Aug. 30 after it refused to name a local legal representative. Brazilian law requires social media platforms operating in the country to designate a legal representative.
Previously, X refused to comply with orders from the Brazilian Supreme Court to remove harmful content, such as misinformation and extremist rhetoric.
The PGR was required to review the case after the Brazilian Bar Association and a political party (Partido Novo) appealed the decision to take down the platform. The appeals challenged the X suspension and $9,000 daily fine for users accessing the platform through virtual private networks (VPNs).&nbsp;
According to the PGR, the legal mechanism used in the appeals cannot be invoked to challenge Supreme Court rulings. “It is not even theoretically admissible to raise a claim of noncompliance with a fundamental precept against an STF judicial decision,” noted a translated version of the office’s statement.&nbsp;
Supreme Court Justice Marques Nunes, who is reviewing the appeals, is expected to refer the case to the court’s plenary only after the country’s municipal elections, scheduled for October. The court’s panel <a data-ct-non-breakable="null" href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/brazil-supreme-court-judge-suspend-elon-musk" rel="" target="_self" text="null" title="https://cointelegraph.com/news/brazil-supreme-court-judge-suspend-elon-musk">previously upheld Moraes’ decision</a> to ban the platform on Sept. 2.&nbsp; Related: <a data-ct-non-breakable="null" href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/brazil-future-with-x-supreme-court-reviews-ban" rel="" target="_self" text="null" title="https://cointelegraph.com/news/brazil-future-with-x-supreme-court-reviews-ban">One week later: X’s future in Brazil on the line as Supreme Court reviews ban</a>
<h2 id="strong-x-ban-makes-its-way-to-congress-strong">X ban makes its way to Congress</h2>
According to the official news agency of the Brazilian Congress, the controversy between Musk and the Supreme Court has <a data-ct-non-breakable="null" href="https://www.camara.leg.br/noticias/1050358-POLEMICA-ENTRE-ELON-MUSK-E-ALEXANDRE-DE-MORAES-REPERCUTE-NOS-DISCURSOS-DE-DEPUTADOS" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" text="null" title="https://www.camara.leg.br/noticias/1050358-POLEMICA-ENTRE-ELON-MUSK-E-ALEXANDRE-DE-MORAES-REPERCUTE-NOS-DISCURSOS-DE-DEPUTADOS">sparked</a> intense debates among lawmakers over the previous days.&nbsp;
<figure>
 <img alt="Brazil’s top prosecutor defends X ban, urges Supreme Court to end disputes" name="" src="https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2024-09/0191ec36-b86c-769d-ae68-c1edf166e308">
 <figcaption style="text-align: center;">
 Brazil’s House floor on Sept. 10. Source: Agência Câmara de Notícias
 </figcaption>
</figure>
Some representatives have defended Musk’s claims of censorship on social media, citing concerns about free speech in the country. Conservative congressman Nikolas Ferreira criticized the lack of transparency surrounding blocking social media accounts, calling it a selective approach by the courts. He said:
<blockquote>
 “Has any left-wing legislator had their accounts blocked? My accounts were blocked right after last year’s elections, and I don’t know why. I don’t have access to the case records.”
</blockquote>
Meanwhile, other lawmakers condemned Musk’s actions as a threat to Brazil’s sovereignty and advocated for regulating social platforms. Congressman Ivan Valente argued that Musk’s actions undermine Brazil’s national sovereignty. “What is happening in Brazil is alarming, this international interference from the far-right,” he said.&nbsp;
Magazine: <a data-ct-non-breakable="null" href="https://cointelegraph.com/magazine/algorithm-choice-can-fix-social-media-but-only-on-decentralized-platforms/" rel="" target="_self" text="null" title="https://cointelegraph.com/magazine/algorithm-choice-can-fix-social-media-but-only-on-decentralized-platforms/">Jack Dorsey’s ‘marketplace of algorithms’ could fix social media… so why hasn’t it?</a>

Brazil’s top prosecutor defends X ban, urges Supreme Court to end disputes

Table of Contents

Cointelegraph

Other articles published on Sep 13, 2024

ETH Transactions Free from SEC’s Clutches? Coinbase CLO Raises Intrigue!

Binance Airdrops $1M in BNB to Vietnam Typhoon Victims

Major Memecoins Lose Momentum Following Meteoric Gains

Weekly Article Recap: 9/02-9/06

Bitcoin Approaches $60K: Will Miners Begin to Liquidate?

Spot Bitcoin ETF Inflows Reach $39M As BTC Nears $58,000

Join our free newsletter for daily crypto updates!