X Shuts Down Operations in Brazil Amid Legal Dispute

X, the media platform owned by Elon Musk, announced it will cease operations in Brazil "effective immediately." This decision follows what X describes as "censorship orders" from Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes. The company claims that Moraes threatened a legal representative in Brazil with arrest if X did not comply with directives to remove certain content.

X shared documents allegedly signed by Moraes, which detail a daily fine of 20,000 reais ($3,653) and an arrest decree against representative Rachel Nova Conceicao. This penalty would be accounted for if X failed to follow Moraes' orders fully. X stated, "To protect the safety of our staff, we have made the decision to close our operation in Brazil."

While the Brazilian Supreme Court, where Moraes serves, has refrained from commenting, it did not verify the authenticity of the document produced by X. However, the X service still remains operational for users in Brazil, according to the platform.

Earlier this year, Moraes mandated X to block specific accounts as part of an investigation into alleged "digital militias." These groups have been implicated in disseminating misinformation and hate speech during the term of former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Moraes initiated an inquiry into Musk after he announced plans to reactivate blocked accounts on X. Musk criticized the judge's actions as "unconstitutional." Following Musk's statements, X representatives altered their earlier stance, informing Brazil's Supreme Court that they would execute the legal rulings.

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