X on Sunday blocked several "popular" handles from Brazil even as it declared it champions freedom of speech and said it suspended the accounts at court orders.
X in a post said it did not know the reasons behind the blocking orders and it was not allowed to reveal the names of the accounts it had blocked.
It said it is prohibited from saying which court or judge issued the order, or on what grounds.
"We are threatened with daily fines if we fail to comply," the company said through its Global Government Affairs account on X.
"We believe that such orders are not in accordance with the Marco Civil da Internet or the Brazilian Federal Constitution, and we challenge the orders legally where possible.
"The people of Brazil, regardless of their political beliefs, are entitled to freedom of speech, due process, and transparency from their own authorities," it added.
Michael Shellenberger, who in 2022 ran for the California governor's post, in a post alleged Brazil is engaged in a sweeping crackdown against dissenters through a judge named Alexandre de Moraes.
X owner Elon Musk replied to the post saying even though he stands to lose all revenue in Brazil and has been threatened with arrest of his employees working there, he will restore the accounts.
"We are lifting all restrictions. This judge has applied massive fines, threatened to arrest our employees and cut off access to 𝕏 in Brazil. As a result, we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there. But principles matter more than profit," the billionaire owner of several tech firms, including Tesla, said.
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