MEXICO CITY (AP) — Social media platform X said Saturday it would cease operations in Brazil, saying Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes threatened to arrest its legal representative in Brazil if it did not comply with his orders.
X is dismissing all remaining Brazilian employees from the country “effective immediately,” although the company stated that the service will continue to be available to the Brazilian population. The company did not provide any information on how it could claim to cease operations while continuing to provide services to Brazilians.
Earlier this year, the company clashed with de Moraes over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation on X. The company said his recent orders amounted to censorship and shared a copy of the document on X.
The Supreme Court’s press office did not immediately respond to email requests from The Associated Press on Saturday seeking comment or confirmation of the document’s authenticity.
In the United States, free speech is a constitutional right that is much broader than in many other countries, including Brazil, where de Moraes in April ordered an investigation into CEO Elon Musk for spreading defamatory false news, as well as another investigation into possible obstruction, incitement and criminal organization.
Brazil’s political right has long accused de Moraes of exceeding his authority, suppressing freedom of expression and engaging in political persecution.
Whether it’s investigating former President Jair Bolsonaro, banning his far-right allies from social media, or ordering the arrest of supporters who stormed government buildings on January 8, 2023, de Moraes aggressively pursues those he sees as undermining Brazil’s young democracy.
“Moraes chose to threaten our employees in Brazil rather than respect the law or due process,” the company said in a statement on X.
In a tweet on Saturday morning, Musk, the self-proclaimed “champion of absolute freedom of speech” and owner of X, said de Moraes was “an absolute disgrace to the justice system.”
