Brazil Reverses Ban on X After Elon Musk Adheres to Court Orders

09.10.2024

Elon Musk’s platform X is resuming operations in Brazil after a months-long standoff with the country’s Federal Supreme Court minister, Alexandre de Moraes. In a post on its global government affairs account, X stated, “We are proud to return to Brazil. Providing access to our platform for tens of millions of Brazilians was a top priority throughout this process. We will continue to defend freedom of speech within the boundaries of the law wherever we operate.”

X was suspended in Brazil on August 31 following an order from de Moraes, which was upheld by other justices. Brazil’s Supreme Court, known as Supremo Tribunal Federal, confirmed on Tuesday that “the company has complied with the conditions stipulated by the rapporteur, Minister Alexandre de Moraes, and the platform is now available for Brazilians to use again.”

The suspension was imposed because X had refused to comply with the court’s orders to ban certain user accounts or remove content deemed in violation of federal laws. Brazil’s strict internet regulations aim to limit the spread of hate speech, incitements to violence, political misinformation, and content that harms democratic institutions. The country also requires tech platforms to maintain a legal representative within Brazil.

Initially, Musk chose to shut down X’s headquarters in Brazil and refused to hire a legal representative. He publicly criticized de Moraes, likening him to the villain Voldemort and calling him a “fake judge” who represented the “evil tyranny of Moraes.” However, pressure from investors in Musk-led companies ultimately led X to comply with Brazilian laws by late September. The platform faced the threat of daily fines, and at one point, the court moved to freeze the business accounts of X and Musk’s other company, Starlink, in Brazil.

During X’s suspension, competing platforms such as Bluesky and Threads gained millions of new users in Brazil. G1 Globo reported that users began regaining access to X on Tuesday following the court’s authorization.