It’s the age-old question: Who gets to call the shots on free speech?

In one corner, we have Brazil’s Supreme Court, flexing its democratic muscles.
In the other corner, X (and Elon Musk) who seems to think that the internet should be a free speech frontier.

So, here’s the situation…

Brazil is gearing up for municipal elections, and the Supreme Court says certain posts on X are harmful to democratic institutions.
Their solution?
Block the platform.
X’s response?
A big shrug and a refusal to suspend the accounts in question.
And now, we have a full-on standoff.

The real question here is:

Who gets to decide what free speech actually means?
Is it the government, protecting democracy?
Or a platform like X, clinging to an ideal of “open discourse” (while it monetizes your rage-scroll)?
From X’s side, they’re all about letting people say what they want – within reason, of course (let’s not forget that we already laws in place about what you can and can’t say).
The idea is that free speech is a fundamental right, and even if some opinions are, well, a bit out there, they still deserve a platform.
But Brazil’s Supreme Court?
They’re not having it.
They’re worried about disinformation swaying elections and democracy itself being hacked by trolls.
For them, it’s about drawing a hard line.

If you let things spiral, chaos isn’t far behind.

They see certain posts as a threat to the fabric of the political system, and honestly, can we blame them for being a little twitchy about election meddling?

Here’s the catch:

Both sides think they’re protecting something sacred.

Power.

Can a government (in this case, Brazil) force a global platform like X to bend to its will?
Or can X just say, “Nah, we’ll pass,” and keep doing its thing?
Social platforms are no stranger to run-ins with governments.
But this case feels different.
Brazil’s not asking politely anymore.
Meanwhile, X seems to be daring the government to take it down.

And who suffers?

The users.
Because if you’re in Brazil right now and you rely on X for your daily dose of… anything, it’s lights out.
This move to block the platform isn’t just a crackdown on trolls – it’s a blow to everyday conversations, too.

But there’s another angle: 

Maybe Brazil’s right.
Maybe letting disinformation run wild can have serious consequences.
Maybe there’s a good reason to rein in certain content, especially when elections are at stake.
If platforms don’t take this stuff seriously, aren’t they complicit?

So, who decides?

It’s complicated.
On one hand, Brazil’s Supreme Court has a duty to protect its democracy.
On the other hand, X exists on a global scale – if every country starts demanding control over what’s posted, doesn’t that erode the very idea of free expression?

What if there’s a third way?

What if these platforms found a middle ground – where speech is free, but dangerous misinformation is kept in check?
… Or maybe that’s just a pipe dream.
For now, it looks like Brazil and X are stuck in their corners, and the rest of us are left watching to see who blinks first.

Until then, keep an eye on your feeds… unless you’re in Brazil, of course.

This is what Elias Makos, and I discussed on CJAD 800 AM. Listen in right here.

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