Leaders | Blocked and reported

As Brazil bans Elon Musk’s X, who will speak up for free speech?

Free expression has become a culture war, and those who should defend it are staying quiet

Target board with social media icons panicking with gunshot holes around them
Illustration: Brian Scagnelli

In Brazil JUDGES have blocked access to X, one of the country’s most popular social networks. In France prosecutors have banned the head of Telegram from leaving the country while they investigate the messaging platform. In Britain judges are sentencing social-media users to prison for messages posted online during recent riots. In America there are plans to ban TikTok, a wildly popular Chinese-owned app. Arguments about free expression are beginning to boil over, as governments clamp down on speech online.

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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Blocked and reported”

From the September 7th 2024 edition

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