according to a copy of the ruling obtained by The Associated Press. The decision came about because the tech billionaire declined to designate a local attorney.

The action intensifies the two men’s months-long argument over misinformation, far-right accounts, and free speech.The action intensifies the two men’s months-long argument over misinformation, far-right accounts, and free speech.

Musk was given a 24-hour deadline by Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Wednesday night to comply with his order to designate a representative, failing which X could be blocked in Brazil. Since earlier this month, the company has not had a representative in the nation. According to De Moraes, the platform will stay blocked until it conforms.

For X, which has suffered from the loss of advertisers since Musk bought the previous Twitter in 2022, Brazil is a crucial market. About 40 million Brazilians, or nearly one-fifth of the country’s population, according to market research firm Emarketer, use X at least once a month.