Brazil Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and 𝕏 for “obstruction of Justice” and “incitement to crime"

Following the closure of several accounts on his messaging platform X by Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes due to the spread of misinformation and hate speech, tech billionaire Elon Musk responded with strong criticism and a threat. In response, Moraes has initiated an investigation against Musk, citing evidence of obstruction of justice and incitement to crime, according to TV Globo, which reported on court documents.

Moraes is overseeing various proceedings in Brazil, including those against digital militias accused of spreading false information and hate speech on social networks, particularly during the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022). As part of his investigation, Moraes ordered the closure of several accounts on Musk's X platform. Musk, in turn, criticized Moraes on X, stating, "This judge has shamelessly and repeatedly betrayed the Constitution and the Brazilian people. He should resign or be removed. Shame on you, Alexandre, shame."

Musk also threatened to publish details of the order to block the X accounts, despite the Supreme Court's previous ban on such actions. Musk has positioned himself as a defender of free speech, but his platform has been used in Brazil to mobilize for anti-democratic actions. The hate cabinet in Bolsonaro's presidential office allegedly organized smear campaigns against political opponents and questioned the Brazilian electoral system. "Social networks are not a legal vacuum," Judge Moraes emphasized in his investigative order, as reported by media outlets.