Elon Musk says X received inquiry from US House of Representatives on actions in Brazil

SAN FRANCISCO: Social media platform X owner Elon Musk has said that X has received an inquiry from the US House of Representatives “regarding actions taken in Brazil that were in violation of Brazilian law.”

In a post on X, Elon Musk stated, “X just received an inquiry from the US House of Representatives regarding actions taken in Brazil that were in violation of Brazilian law. There were hundreds, if not thousands. This is getting spicy”.

𝕏 just received an inquiry from the US House of Representatives regarding actions taken in Brazil that were in violation of Brazilian law.

There were hundreds, if not thousands.

This is getting spicy

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 11, 2024

His statement on the social media platform came after a Brazilian judge started an investigation against Musk for hindering justice after the tech mogul said he would defy a court order to remove X accounts accused of spreading disinformation.

In a decision on Sunday, Brazil Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the probe will check whether Musk was involved in obstruction, criminal organisation and incitement, Al Jazeera reported.

Alexandre de Moraes wrote, “The flagrant conduct of obstruction of Brazilian justice, incitement of crime, the public threat of disobedience of court orders and future lack of cooperation from the platform are facts that disrespect the sovereignty of Brazil”.

He ordered social media platform X to “refrain from disobeying judicial orders, including by reactivating an account that the Supreme Court ordered blocked”. He said that X would face a fine of 100,000 reais per day for each account reinstated in violation of the court order, according to Al Jazeera report.

Brazil’s Supreme Court Chief Justice wrote, “Social networks are not lands without laws.” His order came after Elon Musk took to X to attack the judge after an announcement by the platform that it had been ordered to block certain accounts. It is unclear what accounts were blocked or when the court order was issued.

In a post on X, Musk wrote, “Coming shortly, X will publish everything demanded by @Alexandre and how those requests violate Brazilian law. This judge has brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil. He should resign or be impeached. Shame @Alexandre, shame”.

Elon Musk said X would probably “lose all revenue” and have to shut in Brazil. However, he added that “principles matter more than profit”. X owner also announced that he would “publish everything demanded by” de Moraes and show how “those requests violate Brazilian law,” Al Jazeera reported.

Brazil’s Solicitor General Jorge Messias expressed support for De Moraes. In a post on X, he stated, “we cannot live in a society in which billionaires domiciled abroad have control of social networks and put themselves in a position to violate the rule of law.”

Alexandre de Moraes has led efforts to tackle misinformation and hate speech online, resulting in him being considered a saviour of democracy by many on the left and a menace to it by many on the right.

Since 2023, the judge has overseen a probe into Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro over allegations he had been planning a military coup before his defeat in the presidential polls in 2022, according to Al Jazeera report.

Brazil’s Superior Electoral Tribunal, which is led by De Moraes, banned Bolsonaro from running for office in 2023 for allegedly spreading false information about the electoral system.

During his visit to Brazil in 2022, Musk met Bolsonaro to announce a plan to install his Starlink satellites over the Amazon rainforest to provide internet to schools and health facilities in remote areas. During the meeting, Bolsonaro called Musk a “legend of liberty” and termed his presence as “something spiritual”. (ANI)