Billionaire X-Files owner Elon Musk has hinted he may avoid travelling to countries that do not have strict protection of freedom of expression. The controversial arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France.
Musk, who There was a demand to release Durov The Russian-born billionaire was arrested last weekend on charges of promoting illegal activity on Telegram, and has now clashed with Brazilian and EU authorities over content control on X.
“It would probably be wiser for me to limit my activities to countries where freedom of expression is constitutionally protected.” Musk said in an X post on Thursday night,
Durov's arrest has sparked a global debate over free speech online, with Musk at one point insisting that his detention in Paris was a sign of “dangerous times”.
Some have questioned whether Musk or other notable social media executives such as Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg could also face personal liability for content published on their apps.
On Friday, Brazil's Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered X to be shut down in the country amid the ongoing war of words with Musk. Moraes also imposed fines on anyone trying to access the site via VPN or other means following the ban.
Brazil has also blocked bank accounts used by Musk-led satellite internet firm Starlink.
Thursday night, X said it expected Brazilian authorities to force its shutdown The forum was shut down “shortly” after a war of words between Musk and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
Brazil has blocked bank accounts used by Musk-led satellite internet firm Starlink.
The dispute escalated earlier this month when X recalled his legal representative from Brazil after the judge threatened him with arrest.
Under Brazilian law, social media companies are required to have a representative on the ground to handle government requests to remove content.
X has argued that Moraes is attempting to censor political opponents.
X has argued that Moraes is attempting to censor political opponents and has vowed to “publish all illegal demands of Judge de Moraes and all related court documents in the interest of transparency”.
“We make no claim whatsoever that other countries should have the same freedom of expression laws as the United States,” the company said in a lengthy statement. before the judge's court order. “The core issue here is that Judge de Moraes demands that we break Brazil's own laws. We simply will not do that.”
On the other hand, a top official from the European Union — which is actively investigating X's content moderation practices that could result in a hefty fine — warned Musk earlier this month not to promote “potentially harmful content” ahead of his interview with Donald Trump.
The warning sparked an uproar in the US, with some accusing the EU of interfering in the upcoming presidential election.
In France, prosecutors have charged Durov with a number of counts including terrorism, narcotics, collusion, fraud, money laundering, receiving stolen goods and child pornography, claiming he has been uncooperative in investigations into criminal activity carried out on Telegram.
French President Emmanuel Macron has responded to critics, saying that Durov's arrest was not politically motivated and that France is committed to freedom of expression.
