DPU asks the Court that X pay R$ 1 billion for “damage to democracy”

The DPU (Union Public Defender’s Office) requested the Federal Court this Friday (April 19, 2024) that X (former Twitter) be ordered to pay compensation of R$1 billion for damage to Brazilian democracy.

It states that the actions of Elon Musk, owner of the social network, constitute an improper use of digital platforms for illicit purposes, representing “a serious affront to the democratic rule of law”.

For the Defender’s Office, Brazil finds itself in “delicate moment” when recovering from the attempted coup by sectors of the “extreme right”. Therefore, the billionaire’s statements on the social network in recent weeks would have directly challenged authorities and incited the “non-compliance with court decisions”.

“The action seeks not only to hold companysaid the defenders.

The action was proposed in partnership with Educafro and the Fiscalização e Controle Institute.

Musk comes on a wave of criticism against Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the STF (Supreme Federal Court). In posts published earlier this month, he said he would “rise” [desobedecer] all judicial restrictions, alleging that the minister threatened to arrest X employees in Brazil when ordering the removal of illegal content.

The businessman also accused Moraes of cheating “blatantly and repeatedly the Constitution and the Brazilian people”.

On April 7, the magistrate ordered the inclusion of the businessman as being investigated in the digital militias investigation, filed in July 2021 and which investigates groups for conduct against democracy. The document raises the hypothesis that “intentional criminal instrumentalization”.

The decision came after Musk asked, on April 6, why Moraes “No Brazil demands so much censorship”. The businessman responded to a publication by the minister in X on January 11th.

The comment came following accusations made by American journalist Michael Shellenberger on April 3. According to Shellenberger, Moraes has “led a case of widespread repression of freedom of expression in Brazil”.

With information from Brazil Agency.