Brazilians are set to regain access to X after a Supreme Court judge lifted a nearly six-week ban imposed due to Elon Musk's non-compliance with local laws.
According to The Guardian, The ban, which affected over 22 million users in Brazil, was implemented at the end of August following a prolonged conflict between Musk and the Brazilian Supreme Court. The immediate cause for the ban was Musk’s failure to appoint a local representative and pay substantial fines. However, this conflict also reflected a broader battle over the spread of far-right misinformation and anti-democratic content on the platform, which Brazilian authorities linked to the far-right riots that took place in Brasília in January 2023.
Musk, who has been associated with far-right figures including former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, reacted vehemently to the ban. He labeled Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes a dictator and referred to him as “Voldemort,” even posting a meme to express his frustration.
In recent days, Musk appeared to relent, paying 28.6 million reais (£3.9 million) in fines and appointing a Brazilian lawyer as X’s local representative, as mandated by Brazilian law. Reported The Guardian
Consequently, Moraes ordered the lifting of the suspension and the immediate reinstatement of X’s operations in Brazil. While X remained inaccessible on Tuesday evening without a virtual private network, it is expected to be fully available shortly.
Brazilian commentators and pro-democracy activists celebrated this development as a triumph for the rule of law and the country’s institutions. Political commentator Gerson Camarotti emphasized that the ban was not an act of censorship but rather a consequence of non-compliance with judicial orders. He noted that life in Brazil continued normally during the ban, with many users migrating to the competing platform Bluesky.
“The most interesting aspect is that Brazil didn’t grind to a halt because of the ban on X,” Camarotti remarked. “Nobody in Brazil died because of its absence,” adding that Musk’s platform had become synonymous with hatred.
The social media activism organization Sleeping Giants also hailed the decision as a significant victory for Brazilian democracy and its institutions. They stated, “The suspension of X was crucial to ensure that all companies, including big tech, adhere to Brazilian laws, particularly when the rights of our citizens and our democratic institutions are at stake.”
They clarified that X was not suspended to suppress free speech but rather as a result of a series of ignored judicial orders.