X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has announced it will cease operations in Brazil, though its services will remain accessible to users in the country.
This decision comes in response to a legal conflict with Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has demanded the blocking of certain accounts as part of an investigation into election misinformation and “digital militias.”
According to X’s global government affairs account, Moraes has threatened the company’s Brazilian legal representative with arrest if it fails to adhere to his censorship directives. To safeguard its employees, X has decided to suspend its operations in Brazil immediately.
Earlier, X identified several of the accounts in question, including those belonging to a pastor, a sitting parliamentarian, and the spouse of a former parliamentarian. The dispute escalated when Moraes initiated a criminal inquiry into X’s owner, Elon Musk, over the platform’s refusal to comply with a court order to block specific accounts.
Although X initially resisted, the company later indicated it would comply.
Supporters of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro have criticized Moraes and called for his impeachment. Bolsonaro, who lost the 2022 election, has been barred from seeking office again for eight years due to allegations of undermining the electoral process.
Elon Musk, who visited Brazil in 2022 and met with Bolsonaro, has also criticized Moraes, suggesting he should resign or be impeached.
In its statement, X emphasized that its Brazilian staff have no control over content moderation decisions and framed the situation as a choice between supporting democratic principles or adhering to Moraes’s demands.
Philips Babatunde