Musk sees himself as a defender of freedom of expression. However, his network was recently used in Brazil to mobilize for anti-democratic actions. picture alliance / ZUMAPRESS.com | Rafael Henrique
Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes is opening an investigation against Elon Musk, TV Globo reports.
Moraes accuses Musk of obstruction of justice and incitement to commit crimes, related to misinformation and hate speech, particularly during the term of office of former President Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022).
Musk threatened to release details from the order blocking X accounts, which the Supreme Court had banned.
After threats from tech billionaire Elon Musk, Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes of the South American country’s Supreme Court has opened an investigation against the businessman.
There is evidence of obstruction of justice and incitement to crime, the television station TV Globo reported on Sunday, citing court documents. Moraes is conducting several proceedings in Brazil, including against so-called digital militias, which are said to have spread false information and hate speech on social networks, especially during the term of office of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022).
As part of the investigation, Moraes ordered the closure of several suspect accounts on Musk’s messaging platform X, formerly Twitter. “This judge has shamelessly and repeatedly betrayed the Constitution and the Brazilian people,” Musk wrote on X over the weekend. “He should resign or be removed. Shame on you, Alexandre, shame.” He also threatened to publish details of the order to block the X accounts, something the Supreme Court had previously banned.
Musk sees himself as a defender of freedom of expression. However, his network was recently used in Brazil to mobilize for anti-democratic actions. A so-called hate cabinet in Bolsonaro’s presidential office is said to have organized smear campaigns against political opponents and sowed doubts about the Brazilian electoral system. “Social networks are not a legal vacuum,” Judge Moraes wrote in his investigative order, according to media reports.
AA/dpa