X shuts down operations in Brazil over censorship dispute

Elon Musk’s media platform X announced last Saturday that it would cease operations in Brazil immediately, citing ‘censorship orders’ from Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes. According to X, de Moraes allegedly threatened to arrest one of the company’s legal representatives in Brazil if they did not comply with orders to remove certain content from the platform. X shared images of a document purportedly signed by the judge, stating that the representative, Rachel Nova Conceicao, would face a daily fine and possible arrest if the platform did not comply.

In response, X decided to close its operations in Brazil to protect its staff, although the service remains available to Brazilian users. The Brazilian Supreme Court, where de Moraes serves, declined to comment on the authenticity of the document shared by X.

Musk’s decision follows earlier orders by de Moraes to block specific accounts on X as part of an investigation into ‘digital militias’ accused of spreading fake news during former President Jair Bolsonaro’s government. Musk criticised de Moraes’ decisions, calling them ‘unconstitutional,’ and X initially resisted these rulings.

However, after Musk’s objections, X eventually assured Brazil’s Supreme Court that it would comply with the legal orders, although technical issues reportedly allowed some blocked users to remain active. Musk has since condemned de Moraes as a ‘disgrace to justice’ and rejected the judge’s alleged ‘secret censorship’ demands.