09/18/2024 – 21:52
Commenting on the suspension of X (formerly Twitter) in Brazil, the White House stated last Tuesday, the 17th, that everyone should have access to social networks. According to the United States government, the use of platforms is a “form of freedom of expression”.
The statement was made by US government spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre, following a question from TV Globo journalist Raquel Krähenbühl. Karine was asked about the White House’s position on the conflict between billionaire Elon Musk, owner of X, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, which culminated in the suspension of the social network on August 30.
“When it comes to social media, we are very clear: we believe people should have access to social media. It is a form of free speech,” the White House spokeswoman said.
This is not the first time the United States has taken a stance on the crisis between Moraes and Musk. When the social network was suspended, the American embassy in Brazil said in a statement that “freedom of expression is a fundamental pillar in a healthy democracy.”
“The US Embassy is monitoring the situation between the Supreme Court and the X platform. We emphasize that freedom of expression is a fundamental pillar in a healthy democracy. As a matter of internal policy, we do not comment on court decisions or legal disputes,” the embassy said in a statement released on August 30.
Musk’s platform has been suspended in the country since August 30, after the billionaire failed to comply with an order from Moraes, who had ordered the company to present a legal representative in the country. On August 17, Musk closed X’s offices in Brazil, alleging alleged censorship and threats by the Supreme Court justice.
The conflict between Musk and the Supreme Court minister arose after Moraes, who is the rapporteur of the fake news investigation being processed by the Supreme Court, ordered the blocking of a series of X profiles. Failure to comply with the decisions and the escalation of public attacks made by the businessman led to the billionaire’s inclusion in the investigation of digital militias.
Users report access to X after blocking imposed by the STF
On Wednesday, the 18th, X users began reporting that the suspension of the platform, which was enforced by internet providers after Moraes’ order, is not preventing access to the social network’s mobile applications for Android and iOS. Contacted by Statethe Brazilian Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), responsible for passing on the minister’s determination to companies, stated that there was no change in the decision and is investigating the case. Initially, the STF stated that there was “instability in the blocking of some networks”.
“The Supreme Federal Court (STF) is checking the information about access to X by some users. Apparently, it is just an instability in the blocking of some networks,” the Court said in a statement this morning.
The Brazilian Association of Internet and Telecommunications Providers (Abrint), which represents the companies that had to suspend the social network, claims that X circumvented Moraes’ order through a technique that adopts dynamic IPs.
According to the association, X used Cloudflare, a cloud-based reverse proxy service that acts as an intermediary between users and the social network’s servers, to circumvent the order. The system allows the IP, which differentiates each machine, to be “hidden”, making it difficult to block the service imposed by the STF.
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