X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, may soon be allowed to operate in Brazil again—pending the payment of an additional fine.
Reports from Reuters and other outlets indicate that Brazil’s Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes has issued an order stating that X could “immediately return to its activities in national territory” if it pays a fine of 10 million reais (approximately $1.9 million). This would be in addition to the 18.3 million reais ($3.4 million) fine the platform has already incurred.
In an effort to enforce the fines, Brazilian authorities froze accounts belonging to both X and Musk’s satellite internet venture, Starlink. However, to proceed, Moraes has mandated that Starlink withdraw its appeal against these payments.
Throughout much of this year, X has been embroiled in a legal battle regarding the blocking of accounts that were allegedly spreading misinformation during elections. Musk has criticized Moraes, suggesting he should either resign or face impeachment. Following ongoing disputes, X ceased operations in Brazil and was banned from the country at the end of August.
The ban led to a surge in popularity for competing platforms like Bluesky. However, X recently appeared to change its stance, agreeing to block the identified accounts, pay the necessary fines, and designate a legal representative in Brazil. The latest fine comes after X seemingly circumvented the ban earlier this month by switching to Cloudflare infrastructure, which allowed temporary access to Brazilian users.
In a recent post, X’s Global Government Affairs account acknowledged the situation, stating, “We recognize and respect the sovereignty of the countries in which we operate,” and emphasized that access for Brazilian users is “essential to a thriving democracy.”
As the company navigates these legal hurdles, the resolution of this situation remains closely watched by both users and competitors in Brazil.
Philips Babatunde