Shuts Down Business in Brazil  amid Censorship Dispute

X, previously known as Twitter, has closed its office in Brazil following a censorship dispute with the Brazilian Supreme Court. The social media platform cited threats from Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes as the catalyst for the decision.

Judge Moraes had reportedly threatened to arrest X’s legal representative in Brazil if the platform did not adhere to his censorship directives. Specifically, Moraes demanded that X block accounts accused of spreading disinformation, many of which support former President Jair Bolsonaro.

In response, X, owned by Elon Musk, criticized Moraes publicly. The judge then imposed daily fines of 100,000 reais (approximately $19,774) for any account that X reactivated during the investigation and warned of potential legal consequences for X’s representatives in Brazil.

Moraes also initiated an investigation into Musk, accusing him of obstructing justice. X stated that its Brazilian staff had no control over content moderation decisions but claimed Moraes’s threats against them were unjustified. To safeguard its employees, X decided to close its Brazilian operations immediately.

Musk expressed strong disapproval of Moraes, stating that the judge’s actions were incompatible with democratic principles. He described the closure of the Brazilian office as a tough decision but justified it by asserting that complying with Moraes’s demands would be shameful.

Moraes has been a controversial figure, particularly among Bolsonaro’s supporters. During Bolsonaro’s presidency, Moraes was involved in investigations targeting some of the president’s allies.

Despite the closure, X assured that users in Brazil can still access the platform. The company’s decision reflects broader tensions between social media companies and government authorities over issues of censorship and freedom of expression.