The social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk, could soon be banned in Brazil after the company let a 24-hour deadline to appoint a legal representative in the country lapse. This development marks a new escalation in Musk's confrontation with Judge Alexandre de Moraes, a prominent member of Brazil's Supreme Court.

On Wednesday, de Moraes issued an order requiring X to appoint a legal representative in Brazil, otherwise the platform would be shut down in the country. However, X closed its office in Brazil last week, stating it had received a "secret order" to delete certain accounts, otherwise the legal representative would be threatened with fines or arrest.

On Thursday, X stated that de Moraes had frozen the bank accounts of the former legal representative after he resigned. "Our objections to his obviously illegal actions were either rejected or ignored," X wrote in a post, announcing plans to publish all "illegal demands from Judge de Moraes" as well as the related court files in the coming days.

Musk, who describes himself as an advocate for free speech, has repeatedly accused de Moraes of practicing censorship and suppressing political opponents. In a post on X, Musk shared an image showing de Moraes behind bars and wrote: 'One day this picture of you in prison will become a reality. Mark my words.'

The conflict with de Moraes is just the latest in a series of disputes that Musk has had with various governments worldwide. His platform X is already facing financial difficulties, as advertisers are pulling out due to Musk's lax moderation policy.

On the same day that X announced the impending ban in Brazil, the satellite network Starlink, also owned by Musk, reported that de Moraes had issued an order to freeze its finances and prevent the company from conducting financial transactions in Brazil. This is seen as an attempt to collect fines imposed on X for non-compliance with court orders.

The conflict between Musk and de Moraes highlights the increasing tensions between technology companies and governmental institutions, particularly regarding the balance between free speech and the fight against disinformation. While de Moraes is seen by many as a defender of democracy, supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro accuse him of restricting freedom of speech and deliberately suppressing conservative voices.