X ceases operations in Brazil
Elon Musk has alleged that a justice from Brazil's Supreme Court requested “secret censorship and private information handover.” Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
X, the social media network formerly known as Twitter and owned by Elon Musk, has decided to halt its operations in Brazil. This decision follows alleged censorship demands from the Brazilian Supreme Court, which the company has chosen not to comply with.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes of the Brazilian Supreme Court had earlier issued orders to suspend numerous accounts, which were reportedly linked to supporters or "digital militants" of the right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro. These individuals were accused of disseminating false information about members of Brazil's Supreme Court. In response, Musk criticized these orders as overly restrictive, stating that they amounted to “the most draconian demands of any country on Earth,” and even called for Moraes' resignation.
According to a statement from the X Global Government Affairs team released on Saturday, Justice Moraes, acting covertly, threatened to arrest the company’s legal representative unless the social network adhered to the court's directives. Additionally, a document purportedly signed by Moraes was shared by X, indicating that an arrest warrant would be issued for Rachel Nova Conceição along with a daily fine of 20,000 Brazilian reals ($3,650) if the orders were not followed.
"The decision to close the X office in Brazil was difficult, but if we had agreed to @alexandre’s (illegal) secret censorship and private information handover demands, there was no way we could explain our actions without being ashamed,” Musk tweeted on August 17, 2024.
Musk’s post denounced Moraes for what he perceived as threats against his employees rather than upholding the law or due process. He emphasized that the closure was to safeguard the safety of their Brazilian staff, placing responsibility for the decision "solely" on Alexandre de Moraes.
Despite the suspension of its Brazil-based operations, X affirmed that the platform would remain accessible to Brazilian users.
In a subsequent post, Musk condemned Moraes as an “utter disgrace to justice” and elaborated that obeying the judge's orders would entail secretly violating Brazilian, Argentinian, American, and international laws.
The Brazilian Supreme Court has withheld comments on the incident, neither verifying nor rejecting the authenticity of the document that X circulated.
Continuing, Musk has remained defiant against the Supreme Court judge's instructions to block certain accounts on X in Brazil, insisting that social networks should not be considered lawless territories, as previously cautioned by Moraes.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
Justice Alexandre de Moraes of the Brazilian Supreme Court had earlier issued orders to suspend numerous accounts, which were reportedly linked to supporters or "digital militants" of the right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro. These individuals were accused of disseminating false information about members of Brazil's Supreme Court. In response, Musk criticized these orders as overly restrictive, stating that they amounted to “the most draconian demands of any country on Earth,” and even called for Moraes' resignation.
According to a statement from the X Global Government Affairs team released on Saturday, Justice Moraes, acting covertly, threatened to arrest the company’s legal representative unless the social network adhered to the court's directives. Additionally, a document purportedly signed by Moraes was shared by X, indicating that an arrest warrant would be issued for Rachel Nova Conceição along with a daily fine of 20,000 Brazilian reals ($3,650) if the orders were not followed.
"The decision to close the X office in Brazil was difficult, but if we had agreed to @alexandre’s (illegal) secret censorship and private information handover demands, there was no way we could explain our actions without being ashamed,” Musk tweeted on August 17, 2024.
Musk’s post denounced Moraes for what he perceived as threats against his employees rather than upholding the law or due process. He emphasized that the closure was to safeguard the safety of their Brazilian staff, placing responsibility for the decision "solely" on Alexandre de Moraes.
Despite the suspension of its Brazil-based operations, X affirmed that the platform would remain accessible to Brazilian users.
In a subsequent post, Musk condemned Moraes as an “utter disgrace to justice” and elaborated that obeying the judge's orders would entail secretly violating Brazilian, Argentinian, American, and international laws.
The Brazilian Supreme Court has withheld comments on the incident, neither verifying nor rejecting the authenticity of the document that X circulated.
Continuing, Musk has remained defiant against the Supreme Court judge's instructions to block certain accounts on X in Brazil, insisting that social networks should not be considered lawless territories, as previously cautioned by Moraes.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
