In a shocking move, social media giant X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has announced that it is closing its operations in Brazil “effective immediately.” The decision comes after a Brazilian judge, Alexandre de Moraes, issued what X calls “censorship orders” against the platform.

According to X, Judge Moraes secretly threatened one of its legal representatives in South America with arrest if the company did not comply with his orders to take down certain content from its platform. X claims that the judge’s demands were unreasonable and posed a risk to the safety of its staff.

The row began earlier this year when Judge Moraes ordered X to block certain accounts as part of an investigation into “digital militias” accused of spreading fake news and hate messages during the government of former President Jair Bolsonaro. X initially refused to comply, but later reversed its decision and agreed to block the accounts.

However, the company now says that it cannot continue to operate in Brazil due to the judge’s “secret censorship and private information handover demands.” In a statement, X said: “To protect the safety of our staff, we have decided to close our operation in Brazil, effective immediately.”

The move is a significant blow to X’s operations in Brazil, where it has a large user base. However, the company says that its service will remain available to users in the country.

Elon Musk has been vocal in his criticism of Judge Moraes, calling him an “utter disgrace to justice” in a post on X. The billionaire has also accused the judge of making “unconstitutional” demands.

The shutdown of X’s operations in Brazil raises concerns about censorship and the role of social media companies in regulating online content. It also highlights the challenges faced by tech companies operating in countries with complex legal frameworks.

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