A Brazilian judge’s order demanding that posts on X be erased not just within Brazil but across the entire globe has caused concerns over national courts asserting control over international online speech.
The ruling, handed down by Judge Jeferson Isidoro Mafra in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, orders the platform to delete specific content worldwide, regardless of whether it violates laws in other countries.
The platform’s Global Government Affairs team publicly criticized the decision, calling it a direct threat to global freedom of expression.
“This means that even if the content is not unlawful in other countries, the Brazilian judiciary believes it has the power to issue orders that extend beyond its own jurisdiction and reach the entire world,” the statement read.
X also pointed out that the ruling runs counter to international law, which restricts a nation’s legal reach to its own territory. “This contradicts a basic principle of international law that limits jurisdiction to national territory and puts global freedom of expression at risk,” the platform added.
The ruling stems from two lawsuits filed by Leonardo Wagenknecht Utech, a business administrator, who accused other users of insulting him on the platform.
One of the disputes began after Utech mocked a pro-amnesty demonstration related to the January 8 riots.
His sarcastic comment drew a harsh reply from another user, which Judge Mafra determined was offensive and unlawful.
The judge ordered the response removed and instructed X to provide the IP address of the user in question, an order the platform followed.
But the most controversial element wasn’t the content of the posts. It was the court’s insistence that the deletion must apply globally.
X argued that enforcing Brazilian laws beyond Brazil’s borders sets a dangerous precedent, but Judge Mafra dismissed the jurisdictional challenge, declaring that full removal was non-negotiable.
He also claimed that there was no issue of overreach, saying the court’s order “removes Brazilian interest and is based on Brazilian standards.”
In a second case brought by Utech, the pattern repeated. After he made a comment critical of Pope Leo XIV’s alleged political leanings, another user responded with an insult.
Once again, the judge ruled in Utech’s favor and again imposed a global takedown order.
Mafra maintained that such posts exceeded the bounds of lawful expression, asserting that “freedom of expression is not unlimited” and must conform to notions of “honor, good faith, good customs.”
The judge imposed financial penalties for noncompliance, including a daily fine of one thousand reais ($183) capped at twenty thousand.
Two separate injunctions have been granted so far, both ordering global deletion of user posts.
