The conflict between Elon Musk, owner of far from the end. On Saturday, April 6, Elon Musk asked Alexandre de Moraes: “Why are you demanding so much censorship in Brazil?”
The provocation was launched in an old post on Moraes’ official profile on X, which praised the appointment of Ricardo Lewandowski as Minister of Justice and Public Security. Musk then triggered a series of complaints. He said that the platform “was forced, by court decisions, to block popular accounts in Brazil”, and that they would all be reactivated. He also threatened to close the Brazilian office.
Moraes’ reaction came the next day. The STF minister opened an investigation against Musk, determining a daily fine of R$100,000 per unlocked profile, if the platform fails to comply with legal measures. Elon Musk was also investigated in the Digital Militias Inquiry. According to Moraes, Musk organized a disinformation campaign about the work of the Supreme Court and the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), inciting “disobedience and obstruction of justice, including in relation to criminal organizations”.
In Brazil, the Federal Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, but prohibits anonymity. If a person breaks laws or offends them, they will have to respond for damages. But the internet makes its own rules, covered by platforms that profit from controversy. The economic power fueled by algorithms and data would have been unimaginable just a few years ago.
Marketing and media professor João Oliver, from ESPM, recalls the strength that Twitter has had in shaping media and brand strategies. But he does not recognize the same power in X. “There is a clear change, before and after. It becomes increasingly difficult to approve a media plan”, says Oliver. For the academic, the deviation of curation and good practices on the platform is more worrying than the possible association and collusion of advertisers with Musk’s stance.
Read the full article in the edition of propmark April 15, 2024