Social media platform X (former Twitter) announced it will cease its operations in Brazil. According to the company, the decision was made due to “threats” made by Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
Moraes has requested X to suspend accounts that he deemed as a “threat” to Brazil’s democracy on several occasions in recent years. This resulted in a public back-and-forth between the judge and X’s CEO, Elon Musk, with Musk at one point stating he would reactivate previously suspended accounts. After Moraes opened an investigation revolving around Musk, the company announced it would respect the previous court orders.
Now, with X facing pressure to ban more accounts, the company made a decision to close its office in Brazil. Explaining the decision, X said Moraes made “threats” to arrest its legal representatives in the country if it doesn’t comply with his orders.
“As a result, to protect the safety of our staff, we have made the decision to close our operation in Brazil, effective immediately,” X shared on its official Government Affairs account.
X added that it will continue to make its social platform available for users in Brazil despite closing its office. It is estimated that Brazil is one of X’s biggest markets.