Musk Clashes with Brazil's Supreme Court Chief Justice... "Resign or Be Impeached"

Brazil Government Pressures Some Account Closures
Musk Strongly Condemns "Aggressive Censorship"

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla. [Image source=Reuters·Yonhap News]

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, engaged in a heated argument with the Chief Justice of the Brazilian Supreme Court on his own social networking service (SNS), X. When the Brazilian Supreme Court demanded the blocking of X accounts belonging to far-right influencers in Brazil who spread anti-government fake news, Musk refused, calling it excessive censorship. X is preparing a countersuit, claiming that the Brazilian Supreme Court's order actually violates the law.

Musk mentions 'impeachment'... "Brazilian Chief Justice betrays the constitution and the people"

Alessandro de Moraes, Chief Justice of the Brazilian Supreme Court. [Image source=AFP·Yonhap News]

According to CNN on the 8th (local time), Alexandre de Moraes, Chief Justice of the Brazilian Supreme Court, issued a statement saying, "An investigation will be launched against Elon Musk, CEO of X," and harshly criticized, "Musk's refusal to comply with the Brazilian Supreme Court's order is blatant judicial obstruction." On the 6th, Musk and Chief Justice Moraes exchanged critical posts on X, engaging in a public dispute. The Brazilian Supreme Court had issued an order to shut down certain X accounts that were spreading fake news, but Musk expressed dissatisfaction and refused, sparking the confrontation.

The Brazilian Supreme Court pressured X by threatening to impose a fine of 100,000 Brazilian reais (approximately 27 million KRW) per day for each account that failed to comply with the shutdown order. In response, X initially announced it would comply with the account blocking order, but Musk reversed this, stating he would restore the blocked accounts, continuing the clash with the Chief Justice. Musk then commented on Moraes' post, saying, "Why is censorship so aggressive in Brazil?" and criticized, "The Brazilian Chief Justice has shamelessly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and the people. He should resign or be impeached."

In strong retaliation, Chief Justice Moraes posted a rebuttal, stating, "Social networking services are not lawless lands! They are not owned by an individual," and added, "A billionaire who refuses to comply with court orders and threatens authorities must be restrained."

Is X being expelled from the Brazilian market?... Growing concerns over profitability

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

As Musk continues his dispute with the Brazilian Chief Justice, concerns are rising that X may ultimately be expelled from the Brazilian market, further worsening its profitability.

Musk himself stated on his X account, "As a result, we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and will have to close our office there. However, principles are more important than profits." It is reported that X's Brazilian branch is waiting for a decision from the U.S. headquarters on what measures to take regarding the Supreme Court's order.

If X is expelled from the Brazilian market, advertising revenue will decline further. According to Bloomberg, X's revenue in December last year was $3.4 billion, down more than $1 billion compared to the same month the previous year. This was due to a significant drop in image amid various scandals surrounding Musk, leading major advertisers to stop advertising on X. X's corporate value is also rapidly declining. Its corporate value has plummeted by more than 70% compared to before Musk's acquisition in 2022.