X closing operations in Brazil due to 'censorship orders' from judge

Media platform X on Saturday announced it would immediately cease operations in Brazil, citing what it described as "censorship orders" from Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes.

X, which is owned by billionaire Elon Musk, alleged that Moraes had secretly threatened one of the company's legal representatives in South America with arrest if it failed to comply with legal demands to remove certain content from its platform.

The social media giant shared images of a document purportedly signed by Moraes, stating that a daily fine of 20,000 reais ($3,653) and an arrest warrant would be imposed on X's representative, Rachel Nova Conceicao, if the platform did not fully adhere to Moraes' directives.

"To protect the safety of our staff, we have decided to close our operation in Brazil, effective immediately," X said.

Brazil's Supreme Court, where Moraes has a seat, told Reuters it would not speak on the matter nor confirm nor deny the authenticity of the document shared by X.

The X service remains available to the people of Brazil, the platform said on Saturday.

Earlier this year, Moraes ordered X to block certain accounts, as he investigates so-called "digital militias" that have been accused of spreading fake news and hate messages during the government of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro. Moraes opened an inquiry earlier this year into the billionaire after Musk said he would reactivate accounts on X that the judge had ordered blocked. Musk has called the Moraes' decisions regarding X "unconstitutional."

After Musk's challenges, X representatives reversed course and told Brazil's Supreme Court that the social media giant would comply with the legal rulings.

Lawyers representing X in Brazil in April told the Supreme Court that "operational faults" have allowed users who were ordered blocked to stay active on the social media platform after Moraes had asked X to explain why it allegedly had not fully complied with his decisions.

Musk, in posts on X on Saturday, called Moraes an "utter disgrace to justice" and said the company could not have agreed to the judge's "secret censorship and private information handover demands."