Brasil Kicks The Platform X Out!

Moderating Freedom Brazil The social media platform X will close its offices in Brazil, its owner Elon Musk announced over the weekend, a move that comes amid escalating tensions between Musk and Brazilian authorities over content regulation and the spread of misinformation, Agence France-Presse reported. Musk and the company said they are shutting operations in the South American nation, alleging that Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes “threatened our legal representative in Brazil with arrest if we do not comply with his censorship orders.” X representatives added that the closure was necessary “to protect the safety of our staff,” but said the service will remain available to Brazilian users. The announcement marks the culmination of an ongoing legal and political battle between the firm and de Moraes, who has been pursuing the regulation of online content in Brazil. In April, the judge ordered X to remove accounts spreading disinformation and hate speech, including those of supporters of former populist President Jair Bolsonaro. Analysts told the Wall Street Journal that the orders were linked to a Supreme Court investigation into right-wing individuals involved in the January 2023 attack on Congress, which President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has called a coup attempt. Musk has refused to comply with the court’s order, calling them an attack on free speech. His defiance prompted de Moraes to also order a probe into Musk for possible obstruction of justice and other charges related to online disinformation campaigns. Musk, who describes himself as a “free speech absolutist,” has been at odds with governments around the world over his hands-off approach to content moderation since acquiring X in October 2022. Musk dismantled much of the platform’s content moderation infrastructure, which has led to clashes with officials in multiple countries, including Brazil and those in the European Union. Despite X’s exit, Musk remains a popular figure in Brazil, partly because of his Starlink satellite service that has expanded Internet access in rural and remote areas. But this popularity contrasts with the growing concerns among Brazilian authorities about his influence. The Starlink service has come under scrutiny from Brazilian regulators, including investigations that its rapid growth and dominance as Brazil’s satellite internet provider could crowd out the competition. Share this story