X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has closed its office in Brazil following a censorship dispute with the Brazilian Supreme Court.
The company stated that a Supreme Court judge had threatened the arrest of X’s legal representative in Brazil if the company did not block certain accounts.
Judge Imposes Daily Fine
The Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes had imposed a daily $19,774 fine if X failed to follow orders.
The issue centers around Mr. Moraes’ orders to block accounts on X that are accused of spreading disinformation and supporting far-right president Jair Bolsonaro.
X Responds With Office Closures
In response, X decided to shut down its operations in Brazil, citing concerns for the safety of its staff.
The platform said that its Brazilian staff had no control over content blocking decisions and accused Mr. Moraes of actions that are “incompatible with democratic government.”
Musk said that closing the company’s offices was the last option he had to protect his Brazilian staff.
