The minister of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) Alexandre de Moraes has ordered the inclusion of billionaire Elon Musk among those investigated in the inquiry into digital militias, which examines the alleged criminal activities of groups suspected of spreading fake news on social media to influence politics.
In the same decision, announced on Sunday (April 7), Minister Moraes orders the opening of a preventive inquiry into Musk’s conduct, owner of the social network X (formerly Twitter), among various other companies.
According to the minister, Musk’s inclusion in the inquiry into digital militias was motivated by the possible “deliberate criminal instrumentalization of the social network X.” The opening of a new procedure comes after recent statements by Musk, such as his claim that he would reinstate accounts of X users suspended by Brazilian court decisions, which Minister Moraes classifies in his decision as possible obstruction of justice and incitement to crime.
“I also order that the provider of social network X refrain from violating any judicial order already issued, including regarding the reactivation of any account whose blocking has been determined by this Supreme Federal Court or by the Superior Electoral Court, under penalty of a daily fine of R$ 100,000 per account and liability for disobedience to the judicial order by those legally responsible for the company in Brazil,” stated Minister Moraes.Criticism of the Supreme Court
The minister issued his decision a day after the billionaire published the first in a series of posts on social media criticizing the minister and the Supreme Court. On Saturday (6), Musk used the comments section of the minister’s profile on X to attack him.
In another post, also on Saturday, Musk promised to lift all judicial restrictions, claiming that Minister Moraes had threatened to imprison X employees in Brazil. Early Sunday afternoon (7), shortly before the minister announced his decision, Musk accused Alexandre de Moraes of blatantly and repeatedly betraying the Constitution and the Brazilian people. Arguing that Moraes’ demands violate Brazilian law itself, Musk called for the minister’s resignation or removal.
Shortly after, he recommended that Brazilian internet users use a virtual private network (VPN) to access all features of the platform blocked in Brazil.Disinformation Campaign
In his decision, Minister Moraes argues that, on April 6, the owner of X “initiated a disinformation campaign about the actions of the Supreme Federal Court and the Superior Electoral Court, reiterated on April 7, instigating disobedience and obstruction of justice, also concerning criminal organizations.”
He also cites another inquiry from 2019, which investigates indications of the dissemination of false news, slanderous accusations, threats, and other infractions, to point out that the “criminal instrumentalization of social network providers and messaging services for [the practice] of the broadest range of criminal activities on social media” is “evident.”
“I emphasize that it is unacceptable for any representatives of social network providers and private messaging services, especially the former Twitter, now X, to ignore the criminal instrumentalization that has been carried out by digital militias in the dissemination, organization, and amplification of numerous illicit practices on social media, notably in the serious attack on the Democratic Rule of Law and the attempt to destroy the Supreme Federal Court, the National Congress, and the Palácio do Planalto — the very Brazilian Republic — especially after the attempted coup of January 8, 2023,” stated Minister Moraes, recalling that he himself has met on several occasions with representatives of major digital platforms to discuss “the real danger of criminal instrumentalization.”Source: Agência Brasil