In a significant development, Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Moraes has launched a criminal investigation into Elon Musk, alleging possible obstruction of justice and incitement. This decision stems from Musk’s defiance of a previous Supreme Court order to block access to undisclosed accounts on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Moraes’ move is part of an ongoing enquiry into disinformation and an investigation into whether former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro attempted to incite a coup d’etat following his defeat in the country’s 2022 presidential elections.
The justice contends that anti-democratic elements leveraged social media platforms and private messaging services to undermine Brazil’s democracy, with social media administrators potentially facing criminal charges for their involvement. Moraes asserts that Musk’s decision to lift court-ordered restrictions on the affected X accounts constitutes “obstruction of justice” as part of a wider “disinformation campaign.”
He has included Musk in the existing disinformation enquiry and initiated a new criminal investigation.
Additionally, he has barred X from disobeying any court orders and imposed a daily fine of R$ 100,000.00 per unblocked account. Musk has vehemently criticised the restrictions, labelling them as “the most draconian demands of any country on Earth” and calling for Moraes’ impeachment. The Brazilian Federal Police has been investigating the role of antidemocratic actors in spreading disinformation in the country since 2021.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Federal Court (STF) has been probing the events leading up to the storming of the Brazilian Congress, Supreme Court, and presidential office buildings by Bolsonaro supporters, fuelled by the ex-president’s allegations of fraud. As tensions escalate between Musk and Brazilian authorities, the outcome of the criminal enquiry could have far-reaching implications for both the tech mogul and the ongoing battle against disinformation in Brazil.
