At a G20 social gathering, Brazil’s First Lady, Janja Lula da Silva, openly criticized Elon Musk and his social media platform X for allowing misinformation to spread, making an unexpected and bold statement directed at the billionaire. While discussing the importance of regulating social media platforms, she was interrupted by a ship’s horn and remarked, “I’m not afraid of you, fuck you, Elon Musk.”
Janja da Silva, Lula’s wife, just said “fuck you, @elonmusk” during the G20 Social panel. This is the “tolerant” left. pic.twitter.com/lphpxHiFgb
— Nikolas Ferreira (@nikolas_dm) November 16, 2024
Musk responded on X with a laughing emoji, later suggesting that Janja’s remarks could affect her husband, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, predicting that “They are going to lose the next election.”
🤣🤣
They will lose the next election
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 16, 2024
The exchange comes in the wake of Brazil’s month-long suspension of X over Musk’s alleged non-compliance with local laws, including disregarding court orders to block accounts spreading false information. The event took place ahead of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, set for Monday and Tuesday, where global leaders are expected to discuss a range of international issues, including the regulation of digital platforms.
Musk, who has previously criticized global crackdowns on social media, expressed his concerns on X, calling recent platform restrictions an example of “Freedom of Speech Under Massive Attack Globally.”