X announces suspension of Brazil operations, alleges 'censorship orders' from Supreme Court judge

Elon Musk, the owner of X. File pic

Social media platform X announced on Saturday that it will close its operations in Brazil, and claimed that Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has threatened to arrest its legal representative in the country if they did not comply with orders, news agency Associated Press (AP) reported.

X said that it is removing all its remaining Brazil staff in the country "effective immediately", though it added that the social media platform's service will still be available to the people of the country.

However, the company did not clarify how it could claim to suspend 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 that his most 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 AP's email requests seeking comment, or to confirm the veracity of the document, on Saturday.

In the United States, free speech is a constitutional right that is much more permissive than in many countries, including Brazil, where de Moraes in April ordered an investigation into chief executive officer (CEO) Elon Musk over the dissemination of defamatory fake news and another probe over possible obstruction, incitement and criminal organisation.

Brazil's political right has long characterised de Moraes as overstepping his bounds to clamp down on free speech and engage in political persecution.

Whether investigating former President Jair Bolsonaro, banishing his far-right allies from social media, or ordering the arrest of supporters who stormed government buildings on January 8 last year, de Moraes has aggressively pursued those whom he views as undermining Brazil's young democracy.

"Moraes has chosen to threaten our staff in Brazil rather than respect the law or due process," the company said in a statement on X.

In a tweet Saturday morning, the self-proclaimed "free speech absolutist" and owner of X, Musk, said de Moraes "is an utter disgrace to justice".

(With AP inputs)