Musk’s feud raises questions on regulation

By Yasmin Curzi de Mendonça, University of Virginia Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes faces off against X’s Elon Musk. Ton Molina/NurPhoto via Getty Images / AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth It is easy to get distracted by the barbs, swipes and bluster of the ongoing and very public spat between the world’s richest man and a fierce justice on Brazil’s highest court. Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, posts regularly of his contempt for Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes – a man Musk has labeled a “dictator” and “Brazil’s Darth Vader.” He makes these comments on a social media platform that Moraes has banned in Latin America’s most populous country as part of a lengthy campaign against disinformation. But as an expert on Brazilian digital law, I see this as more than just a bitter personal feud. X’s legal battle with Brazil’s Supreme Court raises important questions about platform regulation and how to combat disinformation while protecting free speech. And while the focus is on Brazil and Musk, it is a debate being echoed around the world. Countdown to the big fight Things came to a head between Musk and Moraes in August 2024, but the battle has...