The most significant matchup today features X and Brazil. In a dramatic turn of events, X announced the immediate suspension of its operations in Brazil, citing “censorship orders” from Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes. The platform claimed that de Moraes secretly threatened a representative with arrest unless the company complied with demands to remove certain content.
“Late last night, Alexandre de Moraes threatened our legal representative with arrest if we do not comply with his censorship orders. This threat stemmed from a secret order, which we are sharing to shed light on these actions,” X stated. “Despite numerous appeals to the Supreme Court, our concerns regarding public awareness and the autonomy of our Brazilian staff have been ignored. Instead of adhering to the law, de Moraes has opted to threaten our team in Brazil.”
While X will cease its operations in Brazil, the social media platform will still be accessible to users in the country. The validity of the documents shared by X has not been verified, and the Brazilian Supreme Court has neither confirmed nor denied their authenticity.
“We are profoundly disappointed by this necessary action, which we attribute entirely to Alexandre de Moraes,” the statement continued. “His approach is at odds with the principles of democratic governance. The Brazilian public faces a crucial choice: democracy, or the authority of Alexandre de Moraes.”
Alongside the announcement, X presented a document allegedly from de Moraes, warning that failure to obey his orders could incur a daily fine of 20,000 reais (approximately $3,653). Furthermore, the document suggests that the X representative could be at risk of arrest.
This ongoing conflict — particularly between X’s owner and de Moraes — is not unprecedented. Earlier this year, the owner stated his refusal to comply with Brazilian directives to block specific accounts, prompting de Moraes to initiate a legal inquiry against him. Since then, X’s stance evolved, leading the company to express willingness to adhere to Brazil’s censorship directives.
Recent developments have drawn scrutiny from the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, which contends that Brazil is compelling X to censor numerous accounts, including those belonging to former Brazilian President Jair Messias Bolsonaro, sitting Brazilian Senator Marcos do Val, and journalist Paulo Figueiredo Filho.
