Brazil’s Supreme Court has allowed X to resume its services in the country after the social media platform changed its stance and began to adhere to court orders that billionaire owner Elon Musk had earlier pledged not to follow.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has been embroiled in a prolonged conflict with Mr. Musk, granted X the permission to recommence operations in Latin America’s largest nation effective immediately.
In his ruling, Mr. Moraes stated that “all the necessary requirements for the immediate return of X Brasil… were documented”.
X had faced suspension in Brazil, one of its largest and most sought-after markets, since late August due to noncompliance with court orders regarding hate speech moderation and failing to designate a legal representative in the country, as mandated by law.
Judge Alexandre de Moraes authorized X to resume operations in Brazil.
In his ruling, Mr. Moraes mandated that Brazil’s telecommunications regulator Anatel must facilitate X’s return to online operation in the country within 24 hours.
Through its Global Affairs account, X expressed pride in returning to Brazil, stating that it “will continue to defend freedom of speech, within the boundaries of the law” in the jurisdictions where it operates.
The dispute in Brazil was one of several recent confrontations involving Mr. Musk, who positions himself as a defender of free speech, and governments like Australia and the United Kingdom, which aim to curb the dissemination of online misinformation.
Brazil’s communication minister remarked that X’s decision to pay the fines and comply with court rulings represented a “victory for the country.”
“We demonstrated to the world that here our laws must be respected, by whomever it may be,” Juscelino Filho said in a statement.
Judicial Battle
X’s suspension originated from an individual ruling by Mr. Moraes, who has led a local initiative against perceived threats to democracy and the political misuse of disinformation.
This ruling was later unanimously supported by a five-member panel of the Supreme Court and its chief justice. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also backed the move, asserting that those doing business in Brazil must adhere to local laws and that the world is “not obligated to endure Mr. Musk’s far-right ideology simply because he is wealthy”.
Justices indicated at the time that they would be willing to reconsider the suspension if X complied with the rulings. Initially, the social media company stated it would not comply, labeling the orders as “illegal”.
Brazil ranks as X’s sixth-largest market globally, with approximately 21.5 million users as of April, according to data from Statista. During the suspension, many users shifted to competing platforms like Bluesky and Meta Platforms’ Threads.
X had legal representation in Brazil until mid-August when it opted to shut down its offices in the country in response to the court orders, which it referred to as “censorship orders”, without appointing someone to take on local legal responsibilities.
This ultimately led to the suspension, in a judicial battle that also impacted another prominent enterprise owned by Mr. Musk, satellite Internet provider Starlink, whose accounts Mr. Moraes temporarily froze to cover fines imposed on X.
A new X representative, lawyer Rachel de Oliveira Conceicao, was appointed in late September, during which X also announced that it had commenced blocking accounts as mandated by the court.
Earlier this month, the company settled outstanding fines that it had previously ignored, paving the way for its reinstatement in the country. Throughout the suspension, X was out of service in Brazil during the final month of the country’s municipal elections, which took place on Sunday.
In numerous cities, however, including Sao Paulo – Latin A
