Mexico City, August 18: Social media platform X said Saturday it will close its operations in Brazil, claiming Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes threatened to arrest its legal representative in Brazil if they did not comply with orders. X is removing all remaining Brazil staff in the country “effective immediately,” though the company said service will still be available to the people of Brazil. The company did not clarify how it could claim to suspend operations while continuing to provide services to Brazilians.

Earlier this year, the company clashed with de Moraes over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation on X. The company said his most recent orders amounted to censorship, and shared a copy of the document on X. The Supreme Court's press office didn't immediately respond to Associated Press email requests seeking comment, or to confirm the veracity of the document, on Saturday. X Shutdown in Brazil: Social Media Company To Shut Operations in Country As Elon Musk Claims Judge Alexandre De Moraes Threatened Legal Representative With Arrest.

In the United States, free speech is a constitutional right that's much more permissive than in many countries, including Brazil, where de Moraes in April ordered an investigation into CEO Elon Musk over the dissemination of defamatory fake news and another probe over possible obstruction, incitement and criminal organisation. Brazil's political right has long characterised de Moraes as overstepping his bounds to clamp down on free speech and engage in political persecution. X Shutdown in Brazil: Elon Musk-Run Company Closes Operations, Blames Alexandre de Moraes; CEO Linda Yaccarino Says 'Sad Day for People of Brazil'.

Whether investigating former President Jair Bolsonaro, banishing his far-right allies from social media, or ordering the arrest of supporters who stormed government buildings on January 8, 2023, de Moraes has aggressively pursued those he views as undermining Brazil's young democracy. “Moraes has chosen to threaten our staff in Brazil rather than respect the law or due process,” the company said in a statement on X. In a tweet Saturday morning, the self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” and owner of X, Musk, said de Moraes “is an utter disgrace to justice.”

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