New Delhi: Social media titan X, owned by Elon Musk, announced the immediate suspension of its operations in Brazil on Saturday. This drastic move follows what the company describes as a threat from Alexandre de Moraes, a justice of Brazils Supreme Court. X revealed in a statement that Moraes had issued a covert order threatening to arrest the companys legal representative in Brazil if X did not adhere to his censorship directives. The company argues that this directive was issued without public knowledge and bypassed due process.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, stated X.Incredibly sad day for the people of Brazil. https://t.co/O1Qi7luLBQ— Linda Yaccarino (@lindayaX) August 17, 2024Frustration over legal appealsX expressed disappointment over its repeated appeals to Brazils Supreme Court, which it claims have been ignored. The company feels its staff has been left vulnerable to legal threats due to these unaddressed appeals.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 continued.Background on the conflictEarlier this year, Moraes ordered X to block specific accounts as part of an investigation into digital militias allegedly involved in spreading misinformation and hate messages during the administration of former President Jair Bolsonaro. The inquiry into Musk followed his announcement to reactivate accounts previously banned by Moraes. Musk has criticized Moraes decisions as unconstitutional.
