Brazil Supreme Court Justice orders investigation of Elon Musk, gives reason
A Brazilian Supreme Court justice, Alexandre de Moraes, has named the owner of X, Elon Musk as a target in an ongoing investigation over the dissemination of fake news.
Justice Moraes also opened a separate investigation into the executive for alleged obstruction.
In his decision, the Supreme Court justice said Musk started waging a public “disinformation campaign” regarding the court’s action on Saturday.
The court said he continued the following day with comments that X would cease to comply with the court’s orders to block certain accounts.
The justice 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.”
The new investigation will look into whether he engaged in obstruction, criminal organization and incitement.
Musk has not commented on X about the latest development as of late Sunday.
On Saturday, he posted that the platform would lift all restrictions on blocked accounts and predicted that the move was likely to dry up revenue in Brazil and force the company to shutter its local office.
“But principles matter more than profit,” he wrote.
He later instructed users in Brazil to download a VPN to retain access if X was shut down and wrote that X would publish all of de Moraes’ demands, claiming they violate Brazilian law.
“These are the most draconian demands of any country on Earth!” he later wrote.
