Elon Musk Is Instigating a Culture War
AtlanticFEB 25 2023
Twitter Files: Brazil's de Moraes Led 'Sweeping' Crackdown on Free Speech
Image copyright: Arthur Menescal/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
According to the latest Twitter Files release, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has pushed a "sweeping" crackdown on free speech that sought to undermine democracy in the South American country.
The investigation results posted Wednesday by Michael Shellenberger claim that de Moraes and the Superior Electoral Court he leads made abusive demands to the social media platform in the lead-up to the 2022 presidential elections.
The reported unusual requests included the court mandating the platform to supply personal details about users who mentioned the pro-printed vote hashtag #VotoDemocraticoAuditavel and attempting to censor supporters and allies of then-Pres. Jair Bolsonaro.
The Spin
Right narrative
This release further reasserts that the Brazilian Supreme Court, and specifically de Moraes, poses a significant threat to the country's democracy amid a crackdown on free speech unseen since the 1988 Constitution came into effect. It's outrageous that the judiciary has consistently silenced dissent without due process.
Left narrative
Yet again, Musk's Twitter Files promote far-right allegations as if they're the objective truth — and as if freedom of speech was an absolute right worldwide. Tweets must have consequences, especially when extremists undermine the democratic order, so de Moraes' actions made him a democracy crusader — not a tyrant.