Elon Musk announces Closure of X’s Offices in Brazil
Elon Musk, the owner of X, announced on Saturday, August 17th, that the social network’s offices in Brazil would be closing amid a dispute with Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Musk stated on X that “X has no choice but to close our local operations in Brazil,” but also clarified in another post that “X service remains available to Brazilians.” The decision was made to protect the safety of the local staff, as Moraes had allegedly threatened the legal representative of X in Brazil with arrest for not complying with what the social network deemed as censorship decisions to block certain content.
Challenges and Criticisms
Elon Musk further expressed his discontent with Moraes, labeling him as a disgrace to justice and calling for his departure. The conflict arose from Moraes’ actions to block accounts of influential figures in ultra-conservative movements in Brazil, particularly following attempts to discredit the electronic voting system during the presidential election won by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in October 2022. Despite X’s efforts to enforce the blocks, users of several accounts managed to circumvent the restrictions, leading to heightened tensions between Musk and Moraes.
Ripple Effects and Call for Democracy
In a bold statement, Elon Musk urged the Brazilian people to choose between democracy and Alexandre de Moraes, denouncing the judge’s actions as undemocratic and incompatible with a democratic regime. The social network, acquired by Musk in October 2022, emphasized the importance of upholding democratic principles in the face of censorship and authoritarian behavior.
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