KUALA LUMPUR – Social media platform X has shut operations in Brazil, with owner Elon Musk blaming “censorship orders” by a Brazilian judge who wanted certain accounts blocked in a bid to counter disinformation.
The operational shut down is immediate, although X users in Brazil will still have access to the platform, media reported.
Judge Alexandre de Moraes had previously issued legal orders to X to remove certain content, besides opening an inquiry earlier this year after Musk said he would reactivate accounts the judge ordered blocked.
Reuters also reported claims by X that Moraes had signed a legal document to fine and arrest X’s Brazil representative if the platform did not comply with the judge’s orders.
“To protect the safety of our staff, we have made the decision to close our operation in Brazil, effective immediately,” X said on Saturday.
Moraes’s bid to stem the spread of disinformation online includes targeting some accounts that belong to supporters of Brazil’s former right-wing president, Jair Bolsonaro, who has claimed electoral fraud in the 2022 election he lost, and whose supporters stormed state buildings over the election results.
To such incidents, judge Moraes has said the freedom of expression “doesn’t mean the freedom to defend tyranny”. – August 18, 2024