X Shuts Down Operations in Brazil Amid Tensions Over “Censorship Orders”

Elon Musk’s X says it is closing operations in Brazil due to judge’s orders

Media platform X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, announced on Saturday that it would immediately cease operations in Brazil, citing “censorship orders” from Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes. The company claims Moraes secretly threatened the arrest of its legal representative, Rachel Nova Conceicao, if X did not comply with court orders to remove certain content.

In response, X released images of a document allegedly signed by Moraes, which outlined a daily fine of 20,000 reais ($3,653) and an arrest warrant against Conceicao if the platform failed to comply.

“To protect our staff’s safety, we have decided to close our operation in Brazil, effective immediately,” X stated.

The Brazilian Supreme Court, where Moraes serves, declined to comment on the authenticity of the document. Despite the closure, X’s services remain accessible to users in Brazil.

This decision follows a series of legal clashes between X and Moraes, who earlier this year ordered the platform 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 tenure. Musk has publicly criticized Moraes’ actions as “unconstitutional” and an “utter disgrace to justice.”