Brazil X ban: Top court judges uphold block of Musk’s platform

Justice Moraes had called for the five-member panel to rule on the suspension, which has caused division in Brazil.

One of the justices, Flávio Dino, argued that “freedom of expression is closely linked to a duty of responsibility”.

“The first can’t exist without the second, and vice-versa,” he added.

Reacting to the decision to ban X, Mr Musk had earlier said: “Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes.”

In his ruling, Justice Moraes gave companies, including Apple and Google, a five-day deadline to remove X from its app stores and block its use on iOS and Android devices.

He added that individuals or businesses that are found to still be accessing X by using virtual private networks (VPNs) could be fined R$50,000 ($8,910; £6,780).

X closed its office in Brazil last month, saying its representative had been threatened with arrest if she did not comply with orders it described as “censorship”, which it said was illegal under Brazilian law.

Justice Moraes had ordered that X accounts accused of spreading disinformation – many of which belonged to supporters of the former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro – must be blocked while they are under investigation.

Brazil is said to be one of the largest markets for Mr Musk’s social media network.