Free speech advocates have rallied together to send a signed open letter to the Brazilian parliament on Thursday after Elon Musk's social media platform X was banned by Chief Justice Alexandre de Moraes amid an ongoing battle surrounding censorship of accounts and content.
The Alliance Defending Freedom International (ADF International) had last week asked the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to take action to re-instate X in Brazil. Until then, they are "working to keep pressure on Brazilian authorities at a high by sending this letter" according to inside sources who spoke with Human Events. Human Events Senior Editor Jack Posobiec and The Post Millennial Senior Editor Andy Ngo are among the signatories. Also included are high-profile political pundits such as Riley Gaines, Babylon Bee founder Seth Dillon, Billboard Chris, Zuby, Sara Gonzales, Mario Nawfal, and Eva Vlaardingerbroek.
The open letter is live on ADF International's website as of Thursday midday and can be signed by anyone in the public. It states, "We urge the Brazilian government to restore the free flow of information, and respect the rights of its citizens to express their views without fear of retribution. Freedom of expression is not negotiable, nor is it a privilege - it is the cornerstone of every democratic society. We must defend it whenever it is under threat, whether in Brazil or anywhere else in the world."
The battle between de Moraes and Musk dates back to August 8 when X announced the Brazilian judge had ordered accounts expressing certain views to be blocked on the platform in his country. While X initially complied, Musk stepped in and reversed the block, stating that his platform would not hinder free speech. In return, de Moraes began imposing hefty fines on X, even coming after Musk's other company Starlink by freezing its financial assets. X employees and legal representation were forced to flee the country or face arrest for failure to provide documents related to the accounts in question. On August 30, de Moraes officially blocked X in Brazil and threatened citizens with fines of around $9,000 per day for accessing the platform via VPN.
The open letter from ADF International warns that the "situation extends far beyond Brazil, serving as a striking example of a growing trend of censorship by government officials, who are becoming increasingly aggressive in suppressing speech they find objectionable," adding, "If this censorship in Brazil is allowed to persist, it could set a dangerous precedent that quickly spreads. Recently, other world leaders have expressed pro-censorship sentiments, and there is no quicker path to the demise of democracy than the erosion of free speech."
ADF International has recently taken up free speech violation cases in other countries such as Finland, Mexico, Egypt, Australia, and England and have been vocal opponents of recent bills that expand the definition of "hate speech" in Ireland and Scotland.
The Alliance Defending Freedom International (ADF International) had last week asked the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to take action to re-instate X in Brazil. Until then, they are "working to keep pressure on Brazilian authorities at a high by sending this letter" according to inside sources who spoke with Human Events. Human Events Senior Editor Jack Posobiec and The Post Millennial Senior Editor Andy Ngo are among the signatories. Also included are high-profile political pundits such as Riley Gaines, Babylon Bee founder Seth Dillon, Billboard Chris, Zuby, Sara Gonzales, Mario Nawfal, and Eva Vlaardingerbroek.
The open letter is live on ADF International's website as of Thursday midday and can be signed by anyone in the public. It states, "We urge the Brazilian government to restore the free flow of information, and respect the rights of its citizens to express their views without fear of retribution. Freedom of expression is not negotiable, nor is it a privilege - it is the cornerstone of every democratic society. We must defend it whenever it is under threat, whether in Brazil or anywhere else in the world."
The battle between de Moraes and Musk dates back to August 8 when X announced the Brazilian judge had ordered accounts expressing certain views to be blocked on the platform in his country. While X initially complied, Musk stepped in and reversed the block, stating that his platform would not hinder free speech. In return, de Moraes began imposing hefty fines on X, even coming after Musk's other company Starlink by freezing its financial assets. X employees and legal representation were forced to flee the country or face arrest for failure to provide documents related to the accounts in question. On August 30, de Moraes officially blocked X in Brazil and threatened citizens with fines of around $9,000 per day for accessing the platform via VPN.
The open letter from ADF International warns that the "situation extends far beyond Brazil, serving as a striking example of a growing trend of censorship by government officials, who are becoming increasingly aggressive in suppressing speech they find objectionable," adding, "If this censorship in Brazil is allowed to persist, it could set a dangerous precedent that quickly spreads. Recently, other world leaders have expressed pro-censorship sentiments, and there is no quicker path to the demise of democracy than the erosion of free speech."
ADF International has recently taken up free speech violation cases in other countries such as Finland, Mexico, Egypt, Australia, and England and have been vocal opponents of recent bills that expand the definition of "hate speech" in Ireland and Scotland.
