X Is Back in Brazil
WiredSEP 22 2024
Brazil Lifts Ban on X
Above: X page of Elon Musk seen displayed on a smartphone with a flag of Brazil in the background on Sept. 23, 2024. Image copyright: Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The Facts
Brazil's telecom regulator announced on Wednesday that internet providers could begin restoring access to Elon Musk's social media X, formerly Twitter, as the platform was already back online for some users.
This comes as Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes approved the "immediate return of X's activities in the country" on Tuesday after X paid some 28M reais ($5M) and established a local representative, as required by local law.
In a statement posted on its Global Government Affairs account following the decision, X said that it was "proud to return to Brazil," adding that the company would "continue to defend freedom of speech, within the boundaries of the law."
The Spin
Narrative A
Elon Musk and his social media platform eventually caved into Brazil's demands and paid the fines, allowing users to go online again. The US First Amendment is not universal, and foreign governments are increasingly considering stricter regulations for online speech. Musk just learned that if he wants to do business abroad, he must abide by their rules.
Narrative B
The US First Amendment indeed doesn't protect free speech abroad, but the right to freedom of expression — including to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of borders, is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. X was censored for political reasons — and this is all but protecting democracy.
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