X shuts down operations in Brazil, accuses top judge of threatening legal representative

Elon Musk-owned social media platform X, formerly Twitter, has said that it is closing its operations in Brazil with immediate effect over censorship orders by top judge Alexandre de Moraes.

The social media company has been engaged in a legal battle with Moraes over its rights and responsibilities to counter disinformation.

Judge threatened legal representative: X

In a statement posted on its Global Government Affairs handle, the company accused Moraes of threatening its legal representative in Brazil with arrest in a “secret order” if the company didn’t comply with his censorship orders.

“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. 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,” the social media platform said in the statement.

“As a result, to protect the safety of our staff, we have made the decision to close our operation in Brazil, effective immediately,” it said.

The company, however, clarified that X services will remain available to the people of Brazil.

Fine, arrest decree against lawyer

“We are deeply saddened that we have been forced to make this decision. The responsibility lies solely with Alexandre de Moraes. His actions are incompatible with democratic government. The people of Brazil have a choice to make - democracy, or Alexandre de Moraes,” the statement added.

In its post, the social media platform also shared screenshots of a document allegedly signed by Moraes which says that a daily fine of 20,000 reais and an arrest decree would be imposed against Rachel Nova Conceicao, the X representative in Brazil, in case the company didn’t comply with the judge’s orders.

‘Utter disgrace to justice’, says Musk

Reacting to the order, company’s boss Musk called Moraes an “utter disgrace to justice”.

“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. He is an utter disgrace to justice,” he posted.

The case

According to Al Jazeera, Moraes earlier this year had ordered X to block certain accounts that were allegedly spreading false information and hate messages including some belonging to supporters of Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro who lost to Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the 2022 election, has repeatedly alleged fraud in the country’s electronic voting system, which he claims led to his defeat.

After Bolsonaro’s defeat, his supporters had stormed the top state institutions to protest against the results. Moraes, who presides over Brazil’s Superior Electoral Tribunal had protested against this.

His alleged feud with X was triggered after Musk, earlier this year, said he would reactivate accounts that Moraes had ordered to block. The judge in response began a probe into the order.

During a hearing in April this year, lawyers representing X had told the Supreme Court that “operational faults” allowed users, who were ordered to be blocked, to stay active, after Moraes asked the company to explain why it allegedly did not comply with his orders.