first lady of brazil, Janja Lula da Silvalaunched a fierce verbal attack Musk“Fuck you, Elon Musk,” he said at a G20 social event in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday. She exploded when she spoke about the importance of policing social media to combat misinformation.
As she addressed the crowd, a ship’s horn sounded and she joked: “I think it’s Elon Musk, I’m not afraid of you, fuck you, Elon Musk.”
Musk, who owns social media platform X (formerly Twitter), was quick to fire back. Responding to the video of Lula da Silva’s comments, Musk shared a laughing emoji and commented: “They’re going to lose the next election.”
The exchange comes amid an ongoing conflict between Musk and Brazilian authorities that has reached a boiling point in recent months. X’s operations in Brazil were suspended earlier this year for failing to comply with local regulations, which included court orders to remove accounts accused of spreading fake news and hate speech. The social network was also penalized for not appointing a legal representative in the country, as required by Brazilian law.
The legal dispute between Musk and Brazil began in 2024, when the country’s top court ordered X to comply with local moderation rules. Musk, however, resisted the directives, calling them censorship and even labeling the judge who issued them, Alexandre de Morais, a “dictator.” The platform’s refusal to comply with the orders resulted in a month-long suspension in Brazil in August, which severely affected X’s operations in Latin America’s largest market.
Why is X banned?
In October, Brazil’s Supreme Court allowed social media platform X to resume operations after Elon Musk’s company complied with a court order to adjust content and appoint a local legal representative.
X has been suspended since August 2024 for failure to comply with Brazilian regulations on hate speech and misinformation. The suspension intensifies Musk’s legal battle with Brazil’s judiciary, which accuses X of undermining efforts to combat disinformation online, particularly in the wake of unrest related to former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Musk initially resisted these court orders, even calling Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes a “dictator.” However, Musk’s platform has now begun freezing accounts and paying fines as required in order to re-enter the important market of Brazil.
