X, formerly known as Twitter, has made headlines after closing its office in Brazil amidst a censorship row with Brazilian Supreme Court judge, Alexandre de Moraes. The social media platform revealed that Judge Moraes had threatened its legal representative in Brazil with arrest if it did not comply with his “censorship orders”.
The controversy began when Judge Moraes ordered X to block accounts accused of spreading disinformation, many of which were supporters of former right-wing president Jair Bolsanaro. In response, X owner Elon Musk criticized Judge Moraes, leading to fines of 100,000 reais per day for any reactivated accounts and an investigation into Musk for obstruction of justice.
Despite the ongoing legal battle, X assured that people in Brazil can still access the platform. However, due to the threats made by Judge Moraes towards its staff in Brazil, X made the decision to close its operations in the country immediately.
In a statement, X placed the blame solely on Judge Moraes, stating that his actions were incompatible with democratic principles. Musk also took to X to express his support for the decision, emphasizing that complying with Judge Moraes’ demands would go against the company’s values.
Judge Moraes, who is known for ordering investigations into allies of former president Bolsonaro, has faced backlash from his supporters. The closure of X’s office in Brazil marks a significant development in the ongoing battle between social media platforms and government censorship.
