Media Giant X Shutters Brazil Operations Amidst Censorship Dispute

Media platform X announced its immediate closure in Brazil, citing censorship orders from Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes. Moraes allegedly threatened a legal representative of X with arrest for non-compliance. This follows earlier orders to block accounts spreading fake news. The platform remains accessible in Brazil.

Media platform X declared on Saturday that it will cease its Brazilian operations effective immediately, attributing the decision to censorship orders issued by Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes.

The company claims that Moraes clandestinely threatened one of its legal representatives in Brazil with arrest if they failed to comply with legal orders to remove certain content from its platform. Requests for comment from Brazil's Supreme Court, where Moraes serves, went unanswered.

Despite the shutdown, X's service remains available to Brazilian users. Earlier this year, Moraes instructed X to block specific accounts under investigation for disseminating fake news and hate speech during the tenure of far-right ex-President Jair Bolsonaro. In response, X had initially resisted but later agreed to comply, although it cited operational issues for not fully implementing the judge's directives.