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X has abruptly shut down its operations in Brazil, citing threats of arrest from judge Alexandre de Moraes over content removal orders. The company, owned by Elon Musk, criticised the judge’s demands as unconstitutional and a threat to staff safety read more
 "10 reasons X gave for closing operations in Brazil")
'X' logo is seen on the top of the headquarters of the messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in downtown San Francisco, California, U.S., July 30, 2023. REUTERS
In a dramatic move, social media platform X has announced the immediate closure of its operations in Brazil, citing a series of contentious legal disputes with Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes.
The company, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, claims that Moraes issued threats of arrest against one of its representatives unless X complied with controversial content removal orders.
This decision follows a series of escalating legal challenges and criticisms directed at the Brazilian judiciary, raising significant concerns about censorship and the safety of the company’s staff.
Here are the 10 reasons X gave behind the closure:
1. X announced the immediate closure of its Brazilian operations, citing “censorship orders” from Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes.
2. The platform claimed Moraes secretly threatened arrest against one of its legal representatives, Rachel Nova Conceicao, if X did not comply with content removal orders.
3. X released a document purportedly signed by Moraes, which allegedly outlined a daily fine of 20,000 reais (about $3,653) and an arrest warrant if the platform did not follow the judge’s orders.
4. X stated that the decision to close its Brazilian operations was made to protect the safety of its staff.
5. Brazil’s Supreme Court, where Moraes is a member, has neither confirmed nor denied the authenticity of the document shared by X and has declined to comment further.
6. Despite the operational closure, X confirmed that its service would remain accessible to users in Brazil.
7. Earlier this year, Moraes ordered X to block certain accounts as part of an investigation into “digital militias” accused of spreading misinformation and hate speech during former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration.
8. Musk criticized Moraes’ actions and labeled them “unconstitutional” after Moraes ordered the blocking of accounts Musk planned to reactivate.
9. X’s lawyers previously admitted to “operational faults” that allowed blocked users to remain active, leading to additional scrutiny from Moraes.
10.Elon Musk condemned Moraes as an “utter disgrace to justice” and criticized the judge’s demands for what he described as “secret censorship and private information handover.”
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English (US) ·