Elon Musk X Restored In Brazil After Court Lifts Ban

Brazil has reinstated the social media platform X, owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, after months of legal dispute and a $5.5 million fine payment. The platform was taken down following non-compliance with the court orders on hate speech and dissemination of fake news. As for the ban, Brazil’s Supreme Court has recently agreed to unblock it after X has fulfilled the local legislation requirements.

Elon Musk X Restored In Brazil

In a recent decision by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the Brazilian Supreme Court has permitted X (formely twitter) to continue its operations in the country. This is because the platform led by Elon Musk, has made several changes in order to abide by the Brazilian laws.

These measures were paying fines, shutting down accounts that were engaged in spreading fake news, and appointing the legal representative as provided for by the law.

The firm had been banned since late August of this year due to the non-compliance with the court orders regarding content moderation and lack of local contact. Musk had been an early opponent of these decisions, calling them censorship, but he changed his position more recently. Thus, by satisfying the court’s requirements, Musk’s social media platform is now free to work in one of its biggest markets, thus bringing the confrontation with Brazil’s judiciary to an end.

Fines and Complies with Court Orders

Another important aspect that contributed to the reinstatement of X was the company’s recent payment of fines of 28.6 million Brazilian reais (about $5.5 million). This sum was a combination of fines for non-compliance and additional penalties imposed after the platform was still accessible to some users because of a technical hitch with Cloudflare servers, even when the official suspension had been made.

Besides the fines, the company also obeyed the court orders by banning the user accounts who were alleged to have posted fake news and misinformation especially on Brazil’s election. 

Justice T.M. de Moraes, who has been looking into the issue since 2023 due to the platform’s facilitation of the spread of fake news, prescribed this step as essential.

Elon Musk’s Compliance Ends Protracted Feud

The reinstatement of X (formely twitter) brings an end to a long running legal battle between Elon Musk and Justice A. de Moraes. Musk had earlier described the judge as a “dictator,” and accused him of limiting the rights to free speech and using the court to muzzle political opponents. But in the last few weeks, the Tesla CEO changed his position and followed the court’s orders, and made efforts to fulfill all the legal procedures for X to operate in Brazil.

Moraes, known for his tough stance on misinformation, had been firm in demanding the platforms full cooperation with Brazilian authorities. Musk’s decision to meet these demands and bring the platform into compliance ultimately led to the court lifting the ban, allowing X to return to the Brazilian market.

Currently, the platform is back online in Brazil, and users in the country can access the platform without restriction. This marks a significant turnaround for Elon Musk’s social media platform, which had faced uncertainty about its future in one of its most valuable international markets.

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Kelvin Munene Murithi

Kelvin is a distinguished writer with expertise in crypto and finance, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science. Known for his incisive analysis and insightful content, he possesses a strong command of English and excels in conducting thorough research and delivering timely cryptocurrency market updates.

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