MEXICO CITY (AP) — Social media platform X said Saturday it would shut down its operations in Brazil after Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes threatened to arrest its legal representatives in the country if the company didn’t comply with his orders.
Company X said it would “immediately” lay off all of its remaining staff in Brazil, but that services to Brazilian citizens would continue. The company did not explain why it could claim to suspend operations while continuing to provide services to Brazilian citizens.
The company clashed with De Moraes earlier this year over free speech, far-right accounts, and misinformation about X. The company said De Moraes’ recent orders amounted to censorship and shared copies of documents about X.
The Supreme Court’s press office did not immediately respond Saturday to an email request from The Associated Press seeking comment or to confirm the document’s authenticity.
In the United States, freedom of speech is a constitutional right and is far more tolerant than in many countries, including Brazil, where Attorney General de Moraes in April ordered an investigation into CEO Elon Musk for spreading defamatory fake news, as well as possible charges of obstruction, sedition and criminal organization.
Brazil’s political right has long accused President de Moraes of overstepping his powers by suppressing freedom of speech and waging political persecution.
De Moraes has aggressively pursued those he sees as undermining Brazil’s young democracy, whether that be investigating former President Jair Bolsonaro, banning his far-right supporters from social media or ordering the arrest of supporters who stormed government buildings on January 8, 2023.
“Rather than respect the law and due process, Mr Moraes chose to intimidate our staff in Brazil,” the company said in a statement about X.
In a tweet Saturday morning, Musk, a self-described “free speech absolutist” and owner of X, said De Moraes was an “utter blasphemer to justice.”
