Social media giant X has announced that it will shut down its operations in Brazil following a legal dispute with Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes. The platform, previously known as Twitter, stated that the shutdown is effective immediately but Brazilian users will still have access to X.
The decision comes after Moraes ordered X to block accounts spreading false news and hate messages, including those supporting former President Jair Bolsonaro. The move is seen as an attempt to combat disinformation online, particularly after Bolsonaro falsely claimed election fraud in the 2022 election.
Moraes, who presides over Brazil’s Superior Electoral Tribunal, emphasized that freedom of expression does not mean freedom to promote tyranny. X accused Moraes of secretly threatening one of its legal representatives in Brazil with arrest if the platform did not comply with his orders.
In response, billionaire owner Elon Musk criticized Moraes, calling him a disgrace to justice. Musk stated that the decision to close X’s office in Brazil was difficult, but compliance with Moraes’s orders would have been shameful.
Moraes had opened an inquiry into Musk after the billionaire challenged the judge’s orders to block certain accounts. X representatives initially said they would comply with the rulings, but later cited operational faults for allowing blocked users to remain active on the platform.
Brazil’s Supreme Court declined to comment on the matter and did not confirm the authenticity of the document shared by X. Despite the shutdown of X’s operations, Brazilian users will still have access to the platform.
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