Exclusive – More than 100 free speech individuals signed an open letter to Brazil's Congress on Thursday, demanding an end to the “censorship crisis” that has led to X being banned nationwide in the South American country.
Prominent academics, journalists, thought leaders and politicians have condemned the suspension of X in Brazil, calling the nationwide shutdown of the platform majority-owned by Elon Musk a “dangerous escalation” of a “worrying trend of speech censorship globally.”
On August 8, X announced that Judge Alexandre de Morais of Brazil's Supreme Court had ordered the blocking of certain accounts of journalists and politicians as part of a campaign to combat “misinformation.” When X resisted the requests, Judge de Morais threatened to arrest them.
After the platform refused to comply with government orders to shut down certain accounts, a judge on August 20 ordered an “immediate and total cessation of X's operations” across the country and warned that anyone attempting to access the platform using a virtual private network (VPN) would be fined approximately $9,000 per day.
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The Washington Post editorial board has criticized the Brazilian government for moving to ban X, a social media platform owned by billionaire Elon Musk. (Getty Images)
Another Musk's companyStarlink is also facing a legal battle to remain in Brazil after the same Supreme Court judge ordered the freezing of its Brazilian financial accounts.
“This situation has dark implications far beyond Brazil, and serves as a striking example of a growing trend of censorship by government authorities who have become increasingly aggressive in suppressing speech they deem inappropriate,” the letter said. “If this censorship continues in Brazil, it could quickly set a dangerous precedent.”
“World leaders have recently spoken out in favor of censorship, and nothing brings us closer to the demise of democracy than the infringement of freedom of speech,” the letter continues.
Signatories include former British Prime Minister Liz Truss, former US ambassador and Senator Sam Brownback, Princeton University professor Robert P. George, women's sports activist Riley Gaines, historian David Starkey, The Babylon Bee's Seth Dillon, author and columnist Rod Dreher, X “Space” host Mario Nawfal, children's rights campaigner Chris Elston (aka “Billboard Chris”), Singaporean activist Melissa Cheng, and journalists and commentators Michael Shellenberger, Andy Ngo and Eva Vlaardingelbroek.
“This judicial overreach punishes both the platforms and their users, stifles free speech and violates the Brazilian Constitution.[a]”This decision also violates international agreements such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” the letter said.
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The campaign, coordinated by legal aid group ADF International, called on the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which has jurisdiction over Brazil under the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights, to urgently intervene in the violation of freedom of speech.
The author of “The Twitter Files,” journalist and signatory Michael Shellenberger, is the subject of a criminal investigation for his reporting on the censorship activities of Brazilian courts.
“I am under criminal investigation by the Brazilian authorities for exposing attempts at censorship,” he said in a statement announcing the news. “Brazil is in a crisis situation where a single Supreme Court justice can exercise the power to shut down X in the country.”
Brazilian flag (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“In the name of promoting democracy, and despite growing opposition from both within and outside the country, Brazilian authorities have created the most repressive censorship culture in the Western Hemisphere,” he added. “When authorities ban the speech of their own citizens, it's not just bad policy or bad politics, it's a blatant violation of fundamental human rights. It is inconceivable that human beings should be censored and silenced by other human beings simply because they disagree with their speech.”
The letter concludes by calling on the Brazilian government to respect the rights of its citizens and “restore the free flow of information” so that they can express their opinions “without fear of retaliation.”
“Freedom of expression is an inalienable right, not a privilege; it is the cornerstone of any democratic society,” the letter reads. “We must defend freedom of expression whenever it is threatened, whether in Brazil or anywhere in the world.”
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ADF International is also Encourage the people Sign the open letter.
Paul Coleman, executive director of ADF International, said the censorship situation in Brazil was “extremely severe and worsening, making it one of the most censored countries in the Americas.”
The opening page of X. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)
“All Brazilians have a fundamental human right to freedom of speech,” he said. “The actions of the Brazilian authorities to suppress speech and ban 'X' are in direct violation of both Brazilian and international law, and the international community must hold them accountable.”
“If Brazil is allowed to continue in this authoritarian manner, Western countries may follow Brazil's lead and issue draconian orders to silence speech and ban digital forums,” he added. “It is essential to speak out and speak out for freedom of expression while it still exists.”
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Republican Rep. Chris Smith (R-I.J.), chairman of the House Global Human Rights Subcommittee, told Fox News Digital that Brazil's government has elevated the risk and reached a new low.
Brazil “went from a policy of persecuting political opponents by excluding them from social media to a policy of banning one of the world's largest social news networks, making it illegal for Brazilians to access it.”
“Any threat to free speech is a threat to free elections and to democracy itself,” he said.
