As part of a dramatic escalation of conflict between private sector principles and local judiciary mandates, X announced the immediate cessation of its operations in Brazil this Saturday. The company attributed its decision to direct threats against its legal team by Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who issued secret orders demanding compliance with censorship directives.
According to a statement from X, Justice de Moraes threatened to arrest their legal representative in Brazil unless the platform adhered to these orders. The company disclosed this information publicly, sharing the secretive order to highlight what it perceives as an abuse of power. “Last night, Alexandre de Moraes threatened our legal representative in Brazil with arrest if we do not comply with his censorship orders. He did so in a secret order, which we share here to expose his actions,” the statement read.
Despite multiple appeals to the Supreme Court, which according to X, went unheard, and the Brazilian public remaining uninformed about the orders, the company expressed its concerns over the lack of transparency and due process. “Despite our numerous appeals to the Supreme Court not being heard, the Brazilian public not being informed about these orders, and our Brazilian staff having no responsibility or control over whether content is blocked on our platform, Moraes has chosen to threaten our staff in Brazil rather than respect the law or due process,” X elaborated.
X and its owner, Elon Musk, have continued to face censorship demands from Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court, led by Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Musk has publicly criticized these demands, arguing they violate Brazilian law, and has shared the court orders online. The latest censorship targets include a pastor, a current parliamentarian, and the wife of a former legislator, all known for their critical views of the government and support of former President Bolsonaro. X is required to block these accounts within 24 hours and maintain detailed logs, facing a fine of about $10,000 per day for non-compliance.
In its statement, X also underscored that the drastic measure to shut down its operations was taken to ensure the safety of its staff. While the local operations have been halted, X reassured that its services would remain accessible to users in Brazil, signaling a commitment to continue providing unfiltered information despite the local challenges.
Musk, echoed this sentiment in a statement released shortly after the announcement of the closure, emphasizing the continued availability of X’s services to Brazilian users. “Due to demands by ‘Justice’ @Alexandre in Brazil that would require us to break (in secret) Brazilian, Argentinian, American and international law, 𝕏 has no choice but to close our local operations in Brazil,” Musk posted, adding that Moraes is an “utter disgrace to justice.”
Musk then compared Moraes to Harry Potter villain Lord Voldermort, adding that, “The decision to close the 𝕏 office in Brazil was difficult, but, if we had agreed to @alexandre’s (illegal) secret censorship and private information handover demands, there was no way we could explain our actions without being ashamed.”
X’s departure from Brazil marks a significant moment in the ongoing debate over digital rights and freedom of speech, casting a spotlight on the pro-censorship actions of judiciary members like Justice Moraes and their incompatibility with democratic values. “The people of Brazil have a choice to make – democracy, or Alexandre de Moraes,” X’s statement concluded, framing the incident as a pivotal choice for the nation’s future.
