Elon Musk shuts down Brazilian office of X over censorship clash

On Saturday, 17 August, the social networking site X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, immediately closed its office in Brazil. Representatives of X claim that the decision was prompted by threats from a government official.

This decision is the aftermath of pressure from Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes. The official allegedly threatened to arrest "X" representative Rachel Nova Conceicao if the platform did not comply with legal orders to remove content from the internet.

- The decision to close the X office in Brazil was difficult, but if we agreed to (illegal) censorship and demands to hand over private information, there was no way we could explain our actions without shame, - Elon Musk wrote on the X platform.

Brazilian judge Moraes supposedly compelled social media to suspend accounts and posts spreading content that he deems a threat to Brazilian democracy. His orders are usually secretive and do not explain why a particular account was suspended.

His orders were largely directed against right-wing supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. It primarily involved people who questioned Bolsonaro's defeat in the 2022 elections and sympathised with the protesters who stormed the Brazilian Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidential offices to force a military takeover.

These actions have made Judge Moraes one of the most powerful and polarising figures in Brazil. The left sees him as a hero, the right as a censor acting unlawfully and exploiting his position as a Supreme Court judge.

The platform "X" confirmed that their service will remain available to users in Brazil. The company did not disclose how many people they employ in Brazil or whether the closure of the office resulted in job losses.