Elon Musk is feuding with Brazil’s powerful Supreme Court

So far, so hyperbolic; on April 15th it emerged that X had sent a letter to Brazil’s Supreme Court, assuring the court that X would comply with its orders. But the row is revealing on two issues. One is the power of Brazil’s Supreme Court, which enjoys outsize authority over the lives of Brazilians. The other is the debate over how to regulate social media without hurting freedom of speech. Brazilians adore social media. According to GWI, a market-research firm in London, they spend an average of three hours and 49 minutes a day swiping and scrolling, more than people anywhere else (see chart). They also send the most messages on WhatsApp, a messaging platform, and rely heavily on social media for news. This makes Brazil fertile ground for the spread of misinformation and efforts to regulate it.