---
title: "Brazilian Judges Ratify Ban on X in Deepening Feud With Musk"
description: "The majority of judges on a Supreme Court panel confirmed an order to ban Elon Musk’s social network X in Brazil and fine those who don’t comply with it by using a virtual private network, or VPN."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Bloomberg"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/bloomberg/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-09-02-brazilian-judges-ratify-ban-on-x-in-deepening-feud-with-musk/"
published: "2024-09-02T18:38:29"
updated: "2024-09-02T18:38:31"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 240
---

# Brazilian Judges Ratify Ban on X in Deepening Feud With Musk

> The majority of judges on a Supreme Court panel confirmed an order to ban Elon Musk’s social network X in Brazil and fine those who don’t comply with it by using a virtual private network, or VPN.

By Bloomberg · Published 2 September 2024, 20:38 SAST · Updated 2 September 2024, 20:38 SAST

## Content

Three of five judges on the panel voted in favor of the [decision to shut down](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-30/judge-bans-x-in-brazil-after-musk-refuses-to-name-representative) the platform formerly known as Twitter during a virtual trial on Monday. The other two judges on the panel must cast their votes by the end of the day. X can still appeal the decision, after the conclusion of the hearing.

The site has been suspended since a late Friday order by Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The top-court judge is spearheading efforts to combat fake news and hate speech in Brazil and faces claims of overstepping his bounds by undermining free speech.

Moraes issued the order after Musk defied several previous decisions, including refusing to name a legal representative for the social network in Latin America’s biggest economy.

X [went dark](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-31/musk-s-x-goes-dark-in-brazil-following-supreme-court-s-ruling) on the weekend, affecting its 20 million users in Brazil — among the world’s most-online nations.

Judges on the panel also voted in favor of Moraes’ order threatening anyone using a VPN to access X with a daily fine of 50,000 reais ($8,900).

The group didn’t discuss the order to [block bank accounts](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-29/starlink-bank-accounts-blocked-in-brazil-to-pay-for-fines-imposed-on-musk-s-x) of Musk’s satellite internet provider Starlink. That decision seeks to force the company to pay for fines imposed on X.

In an appeal filed Friday, Starlink Brazil Holding LTDA asked the Supreme Court to lift the order, arguing the internet business isn’t part of the case against X. Justice Cristiano Zanin denied the appeal and kept the financial assets blocked.