Elon Musk’s X is back in Brazil after its suspension, having complied with all judicial demands

Elon Musk’s X is back in Brazil after its suspension, having complied with all judicial demands
This photo illustration shows the social media platform X (former Twitter) app on a smartphone in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on September 18, 2024. (AFP)
Short Url
Updated 10 October 2024
Follow

Elon Musk’s X is back in Brazil after its suspension, having complied with all judicial demands

Elon Musk’s X is back in Brazil after its suspension, having complied with all judicial demands
  • X and its former incarnation, Twitter, have been banned in Russia, China, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Venezuela and Turkmenistan
  • Other countries, such as Pakistan, Turkiye and Egypt, have also temporarily suspended X before, usually to quell dissent and unrest

RIO DE JANEIRO: The social media platform X began returning to Brazil on Wednesday, after remaining inaccessible for more than a month due to a clash between its owner, Elon Musk, and a justice on the country’s highest court.
Internet service providers began restoring access to the platform after Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes authorized lifting X’s suspension on Tuesday.
“TWITTER IS ALIVE,” Lucas dos Santos Consoli, known as luscas on X, wrote on the platform to his more than 7 million followers.
“I’m happy that the platform decided to follow the laws of Brazil and finally adapted, after all I’ve been using the app for almost 15 years so I can’t deny that I was missing it,” the 31-year-old told The Associated Press.
De Moraes ordered the shutdown of X on Aug. 30 after a monthslong dispute with Musk over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation. Musk had disparaged de Moraes, calling him an authoritarian and a censor, although his rulings, including X’s nationwide suspension, were repeatedly upheld by his peers.
Musk’s company ultimately complied with all of de Moraes’ demands. They included blocking certain accounts from the platform, paying outstanding fines and naming a legal representative. Failure to do the latter had triggered the suspension.
“This sends a message to the world that the richest person on the planet is subject to local laws and constitutions,” said David Nemer, who specializes in the anthropology of technology at the University of Virginia. It could set a precedent as to how other countries that are clashing with Musk — such as Australia — could move forward, as it shows Musk is not unbeatable, he added.
Brazil — a highly online country of 213 million people — is one of X’s biggest markets, with estimates of its user base ranging from 20 million to 40 million.
“X is proud to return to Brazil,” the company said in a statement posted on its Global Government Affairs account. “Giving tens of millions of Brazilians access to our indispensable platform was paramount throughout this entire process. We will continue to defend freedom of speech, within the boundaries of the law, everywhere we operate.”
Julia Bahri, an 18-year-old law student, said she was delighted with X’s return. She said that losing access to the platform had led to “one of the most desperate feelings I’ve experienced for a while,” adding that she had felt lost with regards to news.
Bahri said she uses X to express herself, whereas Instagram and Snapchat are mostly for posting photos.
The Aug. 30 ban came two days after the company said it was removing all its remaining staff in Brazil. X said de Moraes had threatened to arrest its legal representative in the country, Rachel de Oliveira Villa Nova Conceição, if the company did not comply with orders to block accounts.
Brazilian law requires foreign companies to have a local legal representative to receive notifications of court decisions and swiftly take any requisite action — particularly, in X’s case, the takedown of accounts.
Sleeping Giants Brazil, a platform for activism that seeks to combat fake news and hate speech, said the resumption of X’s activities in Brazil marked “a significant victory for Brazilian democracy.”
“It is crucial to remain steadfast against efforts to weaken democratic state authority, institutions and values,” it said in a statement.
Some of Brazilian X’s users have migrated to other platforms, such as Meta’s Threads and, primarily, Bluesky. It’s unclear how many of them will return to X.
In a statement to the AP, Bluesky reported that it now has 10.6 million users and continues to see strong growth in Brazil. Bluesky has appointed a legal representative in the South American country.
“Never get back with your eX,” Paul Frazee, a developer at Bluesky, wrote on the platform on Tuesday.
X is returning to Brazil weaker than it was before the ban, said Nemer, noting that X is now worth less than a fifth than when Musk bought Twitter. The platform has lost a lot of users, especially in Brazil, he said.
Brazil was not the first country to ban X — but such a drastic step has generally been limited to authoritarian regimes. The platform and its former incarnation, Twitter, have been banned in Russia, China, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Venezuela and Turkmenistan. Other countries, such as Pakistan, Turkiye and Egypt, have also temporarily suspended X before, usually to quell dissent and unrest.
X’s dustup with Brazil has some parallels to the company’s dealings with the Indian government three years ago, back when it was still called Twitter and before Musk purchased it for $44 billion. In 2021, India threatened to arrest employees of Twitter (as well as Meta’s Facebook and WhatsApp), for not complying with the government’s requests to take down posts related to farmers’ protests that rocked the country.
Musk’s decision to reverse course in Brazil after publicly criticizing de Moraes isn’t surprising, said Matteo Ceurvels, research firm Emarketer’s analyst for Latin America and Spain.
“The move was pragmatic, likely driven by the economic consequences of losing access to millions of users in its third-largest market worldwide, along with the millions of dollars in associated advertising revenue,” Ceurvels said.
“Although X may not be a top priority for most advertisers in Brazil, the platform needs them more than they need it,” he said.


104 journalists killed in 2024, over half in Gaza: press group

104 journalists killed in 2024, over half in Gaza: press group
Updated 10 December 2024
Follow

104 journalists killed in 2024, over half in Gaza: press group

104 journalists killed in 2024, over half in Gaza: press group
  • “Since the start of the war on 7 October 2023, at least 138 Palestinian journalists have been killed,” the federation said
  • After the Middle East, the second most dangerous region for journalists was Asia with 20 killed, including six in Pakistan, five in Bangladesh and three in India

BRUSSELS, Belgium: This year has been “particularly deadly” for journalists with 104 killed worldwide, over half of them being in Gaza, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said Tuesday.
The toll for 2024 is down on the 129 deaths in 2023 but still makes it “one of the worst years” on record, IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger told AFP.
According to the figures collated by the press group 55 Palestinian media workers were killed in 2024 in the face of Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
“Since the start of the war on 7 October 2023, at least 138 Palestinian journalists have been killed,” the federation said.
Bellanger condemned the “massacre that is happening before the eyes of the world.”
He said that “many journalists were targeted” in Gaza deliberately, while others had found themselves “in the wrong place, at the wrong time” in the fighting.
After the Middle East, the second most dangerous region for journalists was Asia with 20 killed, including six in Pakistan, five in Bangladesh and three in India.
In Europe, the war in Ukraine continued to claim journalist victims with four killed in 2024.
Meanwhile, the IFJ said that across the globe 520 journalists were in prison — a sharp uptick on the 427 being held behind bars last year.
China topped the list as the worst jailer of reporters with 135 being detained, including in Hong Kong, where the authorities have been criticized by Western nations for imposing national security laws quashing dissent and other freedoms.
The IFJ’s count for the number of journalists killed is typically far higher than that of Reporters Without Borders, due to different counting methods.
In 2023 Reporters Without Borders said 54 journalists and two collaborators were killed in the course of their work. The NGO will publish its own figure for 2024 later this week.

 


MBC Studios, Telfaz11 announce multi-project partnership

MBC Studios, Telfaz11 announce multi-project partnership
Updated 09 December 2024
Follow

MBC Studios, Telfaz11 announce multi-project partnership

MBC Studios, Telfaz11 announce multi-project partnership
  • Collaboration announced at Red Sea International Film Festival 

DUBAI: MBC Studios and Saudi studio Telfaz11 have teamed up to develop and produce several projects spotlighting the Kingdom’s talent.

The partnership, which was announced on Sunday at the Red Sea International Film Festival, aims to nurture Saudi talent, drive creativity, and contribute to the growth of the region’s film and television industries.

Telfaz11 is a homegrown creative and media studio that has been behind successful Saudi projects like “Sattar,” which became the highest-grossing Saudi movie in the first three months of its release, and “Mandoob,” which beat “Wonka” from Warner Bros. on its opening weekend in Saudi Arabia last year.

Wael Abu Mansour, head of Telfaz11 Studios, said: “Collaborating with MBC Studios allows us to expand on this success, combining our creative vision with their expertise to deliver even more compelling content.

“Together, we aim to elevate Saudi storytelling and create a dynamic slate of films and series that entertain, inspire, and resonate with audiences across the region.”

Hana Al-Omair, the Saudi director behind award-winning short film “Swan Song,” the Kingdom’s first original Netflix series “Whispers,” and creative director at MBC Studios, said that the partnership with Telfaz11 allowed MBC Studios to not only tap “into a treasure trove of authentic Saudi stories but also set yet another new benchmark for excellence in regional content creation.”

She added: “It is now more important than ever to tell our own stories.”

The companies did not share details of upcoming projects.


Georgian journalists allege brutal beatings as protests rage against ending EU talks

Georgian journalists allege brutal beatings as protests rage against ending EU talks
Updated 09 December 2024
Follow

Georgian journalists allege brutal beatings as protests rage against ending EU talks

Georgian journalists allege brutal beatings as protests rage against ending EU talks
  • On Sunday, several hundred media workers marched down Tbilisi’s central Rustaveli Avenue before putting up posters of colleagues they say had been assaulted while doing their jobs

TBILISI, Georgia: Tens of thousands of people joined an 11th straight day of protests in Georgia on Sunday after the governing party moved to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union, while a separate demonstration decried violence against Georgian journalists covering the rallies.
Police have been using increasing force in their attempts to curb the demonstrations, which have centered on the parliament building in the capital, Tbilisi. Riot police have used water cannons and tear gas every day to disperse the rallies, beating scores of protesters who threw fireworks at police officers and built barricades on the Georgian capital’s central boulevard.
At Saturday night’s demonstration, reporter Maka Chikhladze and her colleague from the independent Pirveli TV channel were targeted by a violent mob, Chikhladze told The Associated Press.
Chikladze said her colleague managed to capture footage of men dressed in black who were beating demonstrators before they turned on the pair, violently pushing Chikhladze to the ground. She later told AP that her colleague sustained a head injury and had his camera stolen.
Chikhladze charged that Georgia’s government was using bands of thugs to deter people from attending anti-government rallies, an allegation denied by representatives of the Georgian Dream party.
On Sunday, several hundred media workers marched down Tbilisi’s central Rustaveli Avenue before putting up posters of colleagues they say had been assaulted while doing their jobs.
“Our colleagues are beaten, injured, some remain in hospital in serious condition,” TV Pirveli anchor Ekaterine Mishveladze told AP.
In a separate incident Saturday, AP journalists saw several masked men violently tackle a protester attempting to enter the offices of an opposition party, Ahali. The man, Koba Khabazi, lay slumped on the ground while his attackers repeatedly kicked him. He later showed AP his head injuries.
Georgian Dream retained control of parliament in the disputed Oct. 26 election, a vote widely seen as a referendum on Georgia’s EU aspirations. The opposition and the pro-Western president, Salome Zourabichvili, have accused the governing party of rigging the vote with neighboring Russia’s help and have boycotted parliament sessions.
Opposition protests gained new momentum after the Georgian Dream’s decision last Thursday to put the EU accession talks on hold.
Riot police have used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the rallies and beat scores of protesters, who threw fireworks at police officers and built barricades on Rustaveli Avenue.
The crackdown has drawn strong condemnation from the United States and EU officials. Speaking Thursday at a ministerial conference of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken denounced what he described as the brutal “repression of those calling for their country to stay on the path to closer ties with Europe.”
Mamuka Mdinanradze, leader of the Georgian Dream party, condemned mob violence against protesters during a news briefing Sunday, and denied any connection with the government.
The office of Georgia’s rights ombudsman on Sunday issued a statement criticizing Georgian police for “failing to take adequate measures” to ensure safety during the demonstrations.
President Zourabichvili, who plays a largely ceremonial role, refused to recognize the official election results and contested them before the Constitutional Court, which rejected her appeal earlier this week.
The EU granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023 on condition that the country meets the bloc’s recommendations, but put its accession on hold and cut financial support in June after the passage of a “foreign influence” law that was widely seen as a blow to democratic freedoms.
The law requires organizations that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as “pursuing the interest of a foreign power,” similar to a Russian law used to discredit organizations critical of the government.

 


Biden says the US believes journalist Austin Tice is alive after disappearing in Syria in 2012

Biden says the US believes journalist Austin Tice is alive after disappearing in Syria in 2012
Updated 08 December 2024
Follow

Biden says the US believes journalist Austin Tice is alive after disappearing in Syria in 2012

Biden says the US believes journalist Austin Tice is alive after disappearing in Syria in 2012

WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden said Sunday that the US government believes missing American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared 12 years ago near the Syrian capital, is alive and that Washington is committed to bringing him home after Bashar Assad’s ouster from power in Damascus.
“We think we can get him back,” Biden told reporters at the White House, while acknowledging that “we have no direct evidence” of his status. “Assad should be held accountable.”
Biden said officials must still identify exactly where Tice is after his disappearance in August 2012 at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus.
“We’ve remained committed to returning him to his family,” he said.
Tice, who is from Houston and whose work had been published by The Washington Post, McClatchy newspapers and other outlets.
A video released weeks after Tice went missing showed him blindfolded and held by armed men and saying, “Oh, Jesus.” He has not been heard from since. Syria has publicly denied that it was holding him.
The United States has no new evidence that Tice is alive, but continues to operate under the assumption he is alive, according to a US official. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the US will continue to work to identify where he is and to try to bring him home.
His mother, Debra, said at a news conference Friday in Washington that the family had information from a “significant source,” whom she did not identify, establishing that her son was alive.
“He is being cared for and he is well — we do know that,” she said.
The Tice family met this past week with officials at the State Department and the White House.
“To everyone in Syria that hears this, please remind people that we’re waiting for Austin,” Debra Tice said in comments that hostage advocacy groups spread on social media Sunday. “We know that when he comes out, he’s going to be fairly dazed & he’s going to need lots of care & direction. Direct him to his family please!”

 


Family of journalist missing in Syria since 2012 meets top US official, says he’s alive

Family of journalist missing in Syria since 2012 meets top US official, says he’s alive
Updated 07 December 2024
Follow

Family of journalist missing in Syria since 2012 meets top US official, says he’s alive

Family of journalist missing in Syria since 2012 meets top US official, says he’s alive

WASHINGTON: The mother of Austin Tice, a US journalist captured over 12 years ago in Syria, said on Friday that her family had information that he is still alive.
“We have from a significant source that has been vetted all over our government: Austin Tice is alive,” Debra Tice told journalists at the National Press Club on Friday, before going to the White House for a meeting.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with Tice’s family in the afternoon, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
“Jake Sullivan did have a meeting with Austin Tice’s family this afternoon, and ... Jake Sullivan has regularly met with the families of wrongfully detained Americans,” she said. “We’re going to continue to make sure that we get Americans who are wrongfully detained or Americans home to their families.”
Tice, a former US Marine and a freelance journalist, was abducted in 2012 while reporting in Damascus on the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad. He was 31 at the time. There has been no claim of responsibility for his abduction.