Elon Musk’s X to be reinstated in Brazil after complying with Supreme Court demands

The X account of Elon Musk in seen blocked on a mobile screen in this illustration after Brazil’s telecommunications regulator suspended access to Elon Musk’s X social network in the country to comply with an order from a judge who has been locked in a months-long feud with the billionaire investor, Sao Paulo, Brazil taken August 31, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The Brazilian Supreme Court’s Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Tuesday (October 8, 2024) authorised the restoration of social media platform X’s service in Brazil, over a month after its nationwide shutdown, according to a statement posted on the court’s website.

Elon Musk’s X was blocked on August 30 in the highly online country of 213 million people — and one of X’s biggest markets, with estimates of its userbase ranging from 20 to 40 million.

Mr. De Moraes ordered the shutdown after a monthslong dispute with Mr. Musk over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation. Mr. Musk had disparaged Mr. de Moraes, calling him an authoritarian and a censor, despite the fact his rulings, including X’s nationwide suspension, were repeatedly upheld by his peers.

Despite Mr. Musk’s public bravado, ultimately X complied with all of Mr. de Moraes’ demands. They included blocking certain accounts from the platform, paying outstanding fines and naming a legal representative. Failure to do the latter had triggered the suspension.