x says it will end its commercial operations in Brazil with immediate effect, but the service will remain available to users in the country. x.com/GlobalAffairs/status/1824819053061669244″ rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:company says;elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>The company says Alexandre de Moraes, president of the Superior Electoral Tribunal and minister of the Supreme Federal Court, threatened one of x's legal representatives with arrest if he did not “comply with his censorship orders.”
According technology/x-close-operations-brazil-effective-immediately-2024-08-17/” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:Reuters;elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas”>ReutersDe Moreas demanded that x remove certain content from its platform. Instead of complying, x chose to end its local operations “to protect the safety of our staff.”
According to x, de Moraes made the threat in a “secret order,” which he shared publicly. x.com/elonmusk/status/1824839784852013125″ rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:x owner Elon Musk claimed;cpos:4;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “>Elon Musk, owner of x, said that the demand “would require (secretly) breaking Brazilian, Argentine, American and international law.” twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1824854726657049023″ rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:He added;cpos:5;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “>He added that, “The decision to close the 𝕏 office in Brazil was difficult, but, if we had agreed to @alexandre's demands for secret (illegal) censorship and handing over private information, there was no way we could explain our actions without feeling ashamed.”
<div class="twitter-tweet-wrapper” data-embed-anchor=”0b5c117c-6342-5c2d-9d5f-6005879e48ef”><blockquote placeholder="" data-theme="light" class="twitter-tweet”>
Last night, Alexandre de Moraes threatened our legal representative in Brazil with arrest if we do not comply with his censorship orders. He did so through a secret order that we share here to expose his actions.
Although our numerous appeals to the Supreme Court were not heard,… twitter.com/Pm2ovyydhE;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “>image.twitter.com/Pm2ovyydhE
— Global Government Affairs (@GlobalAffairs) twitter.com/GlobalAffairs/status/1824819053061669244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:August 17, 2024;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “>August 17, 2024
“Despite our numerous appeals to the Supreme Court going unheard, the Brazilian public not being informed about these orders, and our Brazilian staff having no responsibility or control over whether content is blocked on our platform, Moraes has chosen to threaten our staff in Brazil rather than respect the law or due process,” x said in a statement on its Global Government Affairs account. “(Moraes') actions are incompatible with a democratic government. The Brazilian people have to choose between democracy or Alexandre de Moraes.”
Musk has been criticizing De Moraes for months. In April, he said he would defy lawmakers' orders to block certain accounts in Brazil, claiming they were unconstitutional. In response, De Moraes technology/musk-challenges-brazils-order-block-certain-x-accounts-2024-04-07/” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:opened an obstruction of justice inquiry;cpos:6;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “>An investigation was opened for obstruction of justice
That same month, the House Judiciary Committee x-new-report-reveals” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:released an interim staff report;cpos:8;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “>published an interim staff report The article claims that the Brazilian government is trying to force x (and other social media platforms) to censor over 300 accounts. The accounts are said to include those of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a member of the country's federal Senate, and a journalist.
x does not have a public relations team that can be contacted for comment.
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