X shuts down operations in Brazil, citing ‘censorship orders’

On Saturday, media platform X announced it would cease operations in Brazil “effective immediately” in response to what it described as “censorship orders” from Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes.

X, formerly known as Twitter, owned by Elon Musk, claimed Moraes had secretly threatened arrest for one of its legal representatives if the platform did not comply with orders to remove certain content.

X shared a document allegedly signed by Moraes, outlining a daily fine of 20,000 reais ($3,653) and an arrest warrant if the platform did not adhere to the judge’s directives. X stated, “To protect the safety of our staff, we have decided to close our operations in Brazil.”

The decision to close the 𝕏 office in Brazil was difficult, but, if we had agreed to @alexandre’s (illegal) secret censorship and private information handover demands, there was no way we could explain our actions without being ashamed.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 17, 2024

‘Digital militias’

Brazil’s Supreme Court, where Moraes serves, declined to comment or verify the authenticity of the document. X’s service remains accessible to Brazilian users.

Earlier this year, Moraes had ordered X to block certain accounts while investigating “digital militias” linked to the spread of fake news and hate speech during Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency. Following Musk’s challenge to Moraes’ decisions, X initially resisted but later agreed to comply with the court’s rulings.

Musk criticized Moraes as an “utter disgrace to justice,” condemning the judge’s “secret censorship and private information handover demands.”