Brazil Lifts Ban on X As the Platform Complies With Court Orders
Brazilian authorities recently lifted a ban on X, a social networking platform, following the platform’s compliance with court orders. On August 30th, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes had initially ordered the ban and required telecommunications agencies to implement it due to X’s (owned by Elon Musk) failure to adhere to Brazil's mandates, including the need to censor misinformation-promoting accounts, appoint a local representative, and pay fines. Musk’s resistance, visible in public comments and closure of X’s Brazilian offices, further strained relations. This is prepared by SSP.
As of October 8th, after Musk paid 28.6m reais (£3.9m) in fines and appointed a Brazilian lawyer as X’s local representative, de Moraes lifted the suspension. Termed not as censorship but as a defense against anti-democracy misinformation stirring political turmoil like the January 2023 riots in Brasília, the suspension stood as a testament to Brazil's insistence on legal compliance.
Social commentators underscored the normalcy during X's absence with millions turning to platforms like Bluesky instead. Meanwhile, groups such as Sleeping Giants emphasized that the suspension safeguarded legal adherence and protected citizens' rights. The reactivation of X addresses compliance, reinstating the platform amidst celebrations of legal and democratic victory by many in Brazil.