Citizen Musk: Will Brazil's ban on X mark a turning point for tech giants?

The Debate

First the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, now the ban on Twitter in Brazil. After years of making outrage and tribalism their business model, are tech titans getting their comeuppance? In this edition, we ask about the almighty showdown between the billionaire owner of the social media platform now known as X and the chief justice of Brazil’s Supreme Court who has extended the ban to VPN systems that try to flout the ruling.

Alexander de Moraes just notched up an important win, what with Musk’s Starlink satellite system relenting on initial plans to defy the Twitter ban. There’s the broader question of how to make a digital public square that extends beyond echo chambers without peddling hate and disinformation.

Musk’s own timeline has become the bullhorn of a billionaire tycoon who opposes taxes and immigrants. Donald Trump’s now promised him a role auditing the US government if the Republican nominee wins in November. In an age where so much wealth is concentrated in the hands of so few, what are the limits to one man’s powers?

Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Rebecca Gnignati and Juliette Brown.