Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, has reportedly reversed its stance and complied with key demands from Brazil’s Supreme Court following a weeks-long standoff.
The conflict began when Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered X to remove accounts spreading misinformation that were deemed a threat to Brazil’s democracy. X initially defied the court’s ruling, leading to a nationwide ban of the platform in late August and the imposition of significant fines. However, recent developments indicate the company is now working toward restoring its presence in the country.
According to a court filing submitted by X’s lawyers last Friday and reported by The New York Times, the platform has taken several steps to meet the court’s requirements.
These steps include:
- Removing the accounts flagged by Justice Alexandre de Moraes as spreading misinformation.
- Paying the fines that had accumulated due to non-compliance.
- Appointing Rachel de Oliveira Conceicao as X’s new legal representative for Brazil, which is required by Brazilian law.
These moves are viewed as part of the company’s efforts to restore access to the platform for Brazilian users.
Court Says X’s Compliance Is Incomplete
However, despite X’s apparent compliance, the situation is not yet fully resolved. The Brazilian Supreme Court has pointed out that X has not submitted all the necessary paperwork to officially prove it appointed a legal representative in the country. Reuters reported that the court has given the company five days to provide this documentation. The delay in submitting the paperwork has prolonged the legal uncertainties surrounding X’s operations in Brazil.
The platform’s service in Brazil had been briefly restored earlier this week through the use of Cloudflare’s DNS. However, X described the return as “inadvertent and temporary,” stating that the platform would likely become inaccessible again until it met the full legal requirements. An X spokesperson emphasized that the company is continuing efforts to work with the Brazilian government to resume full operations in the country.
Brazil’s government had imposed strict penalties on both X and Starlink, Musk’s satellite internet company, threatening daily fines of nearly $1 million if they did not comply with the court order. Additionally, Justice de Moraes ruled that Brazilian users accessing X through a VPN would face individual fines of approximately $8,900.
With X’s latest steps toward compliance, the platform is moving closer to potentially lifting the ban and returning to legal operations in Brazil.
Featured Image courtesy of David Swanson/REUTERS
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