Social Media Platform X closes Brazil Operations

Social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, will shut down its local operations in Brazil following a contentious legal dispute over the platform's rights and responsibilities, according to owner Elon Musk's statement on Saturday.

The service will remain accessible to Brazilian users.

The closure appears to be the result of an ongoing legal battle between Musk and Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who has stated his efforts to combat the spread of dangerous misinformation online. 

A post from X's Global Government Affairs department on Saturday claimed that Moraes had "threatened our legal representative in Brazil with arrest if we do not comply with his censorship orders."

The office closure was necessary "to protect the safety of our staff," and the responsibility lies solely with Alexandre de Moraes.

The Brazilian government criticized X's stance, with Secretary of Digital Policies Joao Brant describing the company's attitude as "pathetic."

Brant warned that X's actions could lead to a "probable escalation that could result in the blocking of the platform."

Moraes previously had ordered the suspension of several Twitter accounts suspected of spreading disinformation, including those of supporters of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who tried to discredit the voting system in the 2022 presidential election, which he lost.

“Freedom of expression doesn’t mean freedom of aggression. “It doesn’t mean the freedom to defend tyranny”, Moraes has said.

Moraes has led the fight against misinformation in Brazil. He heads the country's top electoral court, which last year barred Bolsonaro from running again, citing the spread of false information about the voting system.

Musk and others have accused Moraes of cracking down on free speech. Musk said complying with Moraes's orders would have been shameful.

Moraes ordered an investigation of Musk, accusing him of criminally misusing the platform, and threatened fines for reactivating banned accounts, saying social media is not a lawless realm.

Musk responded that principles matter more than profit, even if it means losing Brazil's revenue.