Musk’s X Closes Brazil Operations Following Judge’s Censorship Critique

The social media platform X is set to close its office in Brazil amid ongoing legal conflicts with the nation’s Supreme Court. This situation stems from an alleged secret order demanding the removal of certain posts from the platform within Brazil.

Even with the office closure, Brazilian users will still have access to the social media site.

Elon Musk addressed the situation on X, stating, “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, we would have no way to justify our actions.”

X shared a screenshot of the order issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Moraes has been investigating digital militia groups accused of disseminating fake news and hate speech during the presidency of far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro.

The justice indicated that if X did not comply with his orders, a daily fine of $3,650 would be imposed, and an arrest warrant could be issued for X representative Rachel Nova Conceicao.

In a post on X, the company stated, “Last night, Alexandre de Moraes threatened our legal representative in Brazil with arrest if we do not comply with his censorship orders. He did so in a secret order, which we share here to expose his actions.”

The statement continued, “Despite our numerous appeals to the Supreme Court going unanswered, the Brazilian public remaining in the dark about these orders, and our Brazilian staff having no control over content moderation, Moraes has opted to threaten our staff instead of adhering to the law or due process.”

X expressed its deep sadness over having to take this step, placing the blame solely on Alexandre de Moraes.

Earlier in the year, Moraes ordered X to block specific accounts. Although X initially complied, Musk later announced intentions to reactivate the blocked accounts, calling the judge’s decision “unconstitutional.”

Following Musk’s remarks, X officials reversed their stance and told Brazil’s Supreme Court they would adhere to the legal directions.

The Brazilian Supreme Court has not commented on the allegations made by X, nor have they confirmed the authenticity of the image shared by the platform.

In light of the decision to shut down operations in Brazil, Musk reiterated his stance on Moraes, stating, “Moraes needs to leave.”

He elaborated, “No question that Moraes needs to leave. Having a ‘justice’ who repeatedly and egregiously violates the law is no justice at all.”

In response to the ongoing tensions, Nikolas Ferreira, a member of Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies and a prominent right-wing figure, declared that citizens would take to the streets to call for Moraes’s impeachment.

He announced plans for a demonstration on September 7th in São Paulo, publicly inviting Musk to join the event. His message on social media stated, “On September 7th, Brazil will take to the streets in São Paulo to demand the impeachment of Alexandre de Moraes.” Musk responded by retweeting Ferreira’s post.

The unfolding situation highlights a significant conflict over censorship and the responsibilities of social media platforms operating in nations with stringent legal demands. As legal battles continue, the future of X’s operations in Brazil remains uncertain.

Source: Nexstar Media Inc.