X, the social media previously known as Twitter, announced the end of its physical operations in Brazil through the X account of the owner, Elon Musk on the 17th of August although the services will still be available.
This announcement was made during a legal battle between X and Brazil’s Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes. But why is X leaving Brazil?
All of these began when Elon Musk, the owner of X defied the Supreme Court’s order to block accounts the judge said led to misinformation. These accounts include those belonging to a pastor, a current Parliamentarian, and the wife of a former Parliamentarian.
In the United States, free speech is a constitutional right with more solid protections than in many other countries, including Brazil.
In a post from X’s global government affairs account, the company said Alexandre de Moraes has “threatened our legal representative in Brazil with arrest if we do not comply with his censorship orders.”
The Billionaire, Elon Musk, also backed up his claims with pictures of a document signed by Moraes which says a daily fine of 20,000 reais ($3,653) and an arrest decree would be imposed against X representative Rachel Nova Conceicao if the platform did not fully comply to Moraes' orders.
The company continued: “As a result, to protect the safety of our staff, we have made the decision to close our operation in Brazil, effective immediately. The X service remains available to the people of Brazil.”
The company also mentioned in a statement, “Moraes has chosen to threaten our staff in Brazil rather than respect the law or due process. Moraes is an utter disgrace to justice.”
However, even after closing operations in Brazil, X remains available in the region with its 20 million users making it the fourth largest social media platform in the country.
What Does this Mean for Brazil and X?
Despite the ongoing availability of X's services in Brazil, this move by the company signals a retreat from direct engagement in the country and has potentially set a precedent for how other tech companies might respond to similar legal issues in the future.
Furthermore, with X’s move to leave Brazil, many Brazilians and concerned people from different parts of the world have begun to question how Brazil will ensure that its efforts to regulate online content do not lead to the withdrawal of platforms that serve as the backbone for communication and information sharing.
Closing Remarks
The clash between X’s Elon Musk and Brazil’s Supreme Court Judge, Alexandre de Moraes, raises questions about the credibility and functionality of democracy in Brazil.
When legal disputes with tech companies result in the closure of their operations and threats of imprisonment against their legal representatives, it becomes clear to all that a reevaluation of the balance between state power and individual freedoms is needed. Also, it questions if democracy in Brazil is simply a façade for authoritarianism.