Elon Musk closes X's Brazilian office amid dispute with judge

Elon Musk made the decision to shut down the operations of X, his social network, in May 2022. The closure was a result of a Brazilian Supreme Court judge's order to suspend specific accounts or face the arrest of the company's legal representative in Brazil. Despite this, X ensured its users in Brazil that the service would continue to be accessible. The company refrained from disclosing the number of employees affected by this action.

The Ongoing Dispute

The closure of the Brazilian office marks a significant escalation in the prolonged conflict between Elon Musk and the Brazilian judge, Alexandre de Moraes. Musk has repeatedly accused Moraes of suppressing conservative voices on the internet, while Moraes has maintained that his actions are aimed at combating the spread of misinformation and attacks on Brazilian institutions. Moraes has a track record of directing social networks to suspend numerous accounts and posts that he deems detrimental to Brazil's democratic system. These directives are typically sealed and do not provide specific explanations for the suspensions.