Brazil lifts ban on Musk's X after it pays $5m fine
Brazil lifts ban on Musk's X after it pays $5m fine
The Facts
Elon Musk's social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, is seeking to restore service in Brazil after paying large fines and blocking users accused of disseminating disinformation.
After the X paid fines totaling 28M reais ($5.1M) and agreed to appoint a local representative as per Brazilian law, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes approved the "immediate return" of X's operations in the country.
The Spin
Elon Musk, the self-proclaimed champion of free speech, and his social media platform X eventually caved in to Brazil's high court's demands and paid the fines, allowing its 20 million users to go online again. The US First Amendment to the US Constitution is not universal., More and moreforeign governments are increasingly considering stricter regulations for online speech. Elon Musk just learned anthat important lesson in Brazil: if youhe wantwants to do business abroad, youhe must followabide theby regulationstheir that exist in each countryrules.
IfThe theUS First Amendment protectingdoesn't protect free speech isabroad not universalindeed, thenbut Article 19 of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights is. It says, "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this— rightincluding includes freedom... to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media, and regardless of frontiers."borders, Brazilis violatesenshrined saidin articlethe byUniversal attemptingDeclaration toof suppressHuman freeRights. speechX andwas censorcensored contentfor onpolitical X.reasons Modern— liberaland democracythis is inall troublebut ifprotecting Brazil sets the standard of free speechdemocracy.
