In a dramatic escalation of a censorship dispute, social media platform X has announced the closure of its office in Brazil after a judge threatened to arrest one of its legal representatives.
The move comes in response to what X described as a “secret order” from Supreme Federal Court Minister Alexandre de Moraes, which the company claims was issued without due process or respect for the law. X shared the order on its platform, revealing that de Moraes had demanded the arrest of X representative Rachel Nova Conceicao and imposed daily fines of approximately $3,650.
According to X, the dispute began when de Moraes launched an investigation into “digital militias” accused of spreading misinformation and hate speech on the platform during the tenure of former President Jair Bolsonaro. The judge also opened an inquiry into X owner Elon Musk, who refused to comply with de Moraes’ demands to block certain accounts.
Musk has been vocal in his criticism of de Moraes, calling him an “utter disgrace to justice” and likening him to Harry Potter villain Voldemort.
The X owner claimed that the decision to close the office in Brazil was a difficult one, but necessary to avoid complying with de Moraes’ “illegal” demands.
The closure of the office does not mean that X will be unavailable to users in Brazil, however. The platform will continue to operate in the country, despite the loss of its physical presence.
X has also faced pressure from the European Union, with Commissioner Thierry Breton warning Musk that the platform could face repercussions if it fails to keep hate speech and disinformation in check. The warning came ahead of Musk’s interview with former US President Donald Trump.
The dispute between X and de Moraes has sparked a heated debate about censorship and free speech in Brazil. X has accused de Moraes of overstepping his authority and undermining democratic principles, while the judge has argued that he is simply enforcing the law.
