Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) will cease operations in Brazil.
In a tweet over the weekend, the company wrote that the drastic step was the result of a bitter legal battle with Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who reportedly issued a “secret order” threatening to arrest X’s legal representatives if the company did not comply with its censorship demands.
Despite declaring its suspension, at the time of writing, X is still accessible to users in Brazil, but as The New York Times points out, it appears the company will be closing its Brazilian offices rather than shutting down the entire platform in the South American country.
Last night, Alexandre de Moraes threatened the Brazilian legal representative with arrest if he did not comply with the censorship order. He did this with a secret order, but we are publishing it here to shed light on his actions.
Despite our multiple unsuccessful appeals to the Supreme Court… pic.twitter.com/Pm2ovyydhE
— Global Government Affairs (@GlobalAffairs) August 17, 2024
The conflict began in April when Judge Moraes launched an investigation into X after the platform reinstated accounts that had been ordered blocked. The platform quickly reversed its decision, but tensions escalated, Business Insider reported.
Musk’s decision to close the Brazilian office was in direct response to what he called “unacceptable” demands from Judge de Moraes, who reportedly threatened to fine X 100,000 reais ($19,774) per day for any accounts that were reopened, and even threatened to arrest his legal representative.
X’s move underscores the ongoing friction between Musk and Brazilian authorities and highlights the challenges global technology companies face in navigating local regulations and censorship orders.
Overall, while X’s operations in Brazil have been suspended, the platform remains available to users, a show of defiance against what Musk sees as the excessive censorship of the Brazilian judiciary.
What do you think about X’s decision to suspend its operations in Brazil amid its legal battle with Judge Moraes? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a comment below or join the conversation on Facebook or Twitter.
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Kevin is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of KnowTechie. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-fledged tech news publication. Email him at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.