Digital media platform X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, announced the immediate closure of its operations in Brazil, citing what it describes as “censorship orders” imposed by Brazilian Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes. The decision has sparked significant controversy, raising questions about the balance between legal authority and freedom of expression in Brazil.
X claimed that Judge Alexandre de Moraes had secretly threatened one of its legal representatives in Brazil, Rachel Nova Conceicao, with arrest if the platform did not comply with orders to remove certain content. The company shared images of a document allegedly signed by Alexandre de Moraes, which outlined a daily fine of 20,000 reais ($3,653) and a potential arrest if the orders were not fulfilled, Reuters news report said.
In response, X stated, “To protect the safety of our staff, we have made the decision to close our operation in Brazil, effective immediately.” However, the platform clarified that its service would remain available to Brazilian users despite the closure of its local operations. X has around 20 million users in Brazil, according to the latest data from Sensor Tower.
The Supreme Court of Brazil, where Alexandre de Moraes holds a seat, declined to comment on the matter and did not confirm the authenticity of the document shared by X.
This closure comes after a series of legal disputes between X and Alexandre de Moraes. Earlier this year, Alexandre de Moraes ordered the platform to block certain accounts as part of an investigation into “digital militias” accused of spreading misinformation and hate speech during the tenure of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Musk had publicly criticized these orders, calling them “unconstitutional,” and vowing to reactivate the blocked accounts.
However, following these challenges, X representatives informed the Supreme Court that the company would comply with the legal rulings, blaming “operational faults” for any previous non-compliance. Despite these assurances, the relationship between X and the Brazilian judiciary has remained fraught, culminating in the platform’s decision to cease operations in the country.
Elon Musk, in a series of posts on X, lambasted Alexandre de Moraes, calling him an “utter disgrace to justice,” and accused him of making “secret censorship and private information handover demands.”
The situation highlights the ongoing tension between global tech companies and national legal systems, particularly in countries where political and legal pressures may conflict with the platforms’ operational principles and commitments to user privacy and free speech.
