Social media platform X announced on Saturday its decision to shut down its operations in Brazil due to threats from Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The Justice threatened to arrest X’s legal representative in Brazil if the company did not comply with orders. As a result, X stated that it would be removing all its remaining Brazilian staff immediately.
While the company mentioned that services would still be available to the people of Brazil, it did not provide details on how it intends to suspend its operations while continuing to offer services in the country. Earlier this year, X had clashed with Justice de Moraes over issues related to free speech, far-right accounts, and misinformation on the platform.
The Supreme Court’s press office did not respond immediately to requests for comments on the matter. In the United States, free speech is granted strong constitutional protection, unlike in Brazil where Justice de Moraes had initiated investigations into CEO Elon Musk for spreading defamatory fake news and other allegations.
Critics from Brazil’s political right have accused Justice de Moraes of infringing on free speech rights and engaging in political persecution. De Moraes has been actively pursuing actions against those he believes are threatening Brazil’s democracy, including investigating former President Jair Bolsonaro and his allies, as well as taking measures against individuals involved in storming government buildings on January 8, 2023.
X, in a statement on the platform, criticized de Moraes for choosing to threaten their staff in Brazil instead of following due process and respecting the law. In response to the situation, X’s owner, Elon Musk, who describes himself as a “free speech absolutist,” expressed his disdain for Justice de Moraes on Twitter, labeling him as “an utter disgrace to justice.”