Brazil ends ban on X following Musk's court order compliance.

Brazil ends ban on X following Musk's court order compliance.
Brazil ends ban on X following Musk's court order compliance.
  • After a months-long standoff between the company and Brazil's federal supreme court minister, Alexandre de Moraes, X is returning online in Brazil.
  • On Aug. 31, the service was suspended in Brazil due to an order from de Moraes that was upheld by a panel of other justices.
  • Because Musk refused to comply with Brazil's court orders to ban certain user accounts or remove content deemed illegal, the suspension was imposed.

The months-long standoff between Elon Musk's X and the Brazilian federal supreme court minister, Alexandre de Moraes, has ended, allowing the company to resume operations in the country.

"The company expressed pride in returning to Brazil, stating that it was crucial to provide access to its platform for millions of Brazilians. It also emphasized its commitment to upholding freedom of speech within legal boundaries in all its operations."

On Aug. 31, X was suspended in Brazil following an order from de Moraes that was upheld by a panel of other justices.

On Tuesday, Brazil's supreme court, Supremo Tribuno Federal, declared that the company had met the requirements set forth by Minister Alexandre de Moraes and the platform could be used by Brazilians once again.

The court requested that some user accounts be banned or content removed, but Musk, who owns X and serves as its technology chief, refused.

Brazil's internet regulations aim to curb hate speech, violence incitement, and harmful political content, while requiring tech companies to appoint a legal representative in the country.

Musk initially shut down X's headquarters in Brazil and stated that he wouldn't hire a legal representative there for a while. For months, Musk insulted de Moraes, comparing him to the movie villain Voldemort, calling him a "fake" judge, and describing the "tyranny" of Moraes.

According to Correio Brazilenese, X was pressured by investors in Musk-led companies to comply with Brazilian law by late September, or face daily fines.

In Brazil, at some point, the court ordered the freezing of X's business accounts, as well as those belonging to Starlink, a satellite internet service owned by SpaceX.

After X's suspension, competitors such as Bluesky and Threads experienced a surge in users in Brazil, with millions of new users, according to SimilarWeb data. On Tuesday, G1 Globo news reported that users were able to access X again after court authorization.

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by Lora Kolodny

Technology