Brazil Supreme Court lifts ban on Musk’s X

Elon Musk’s X network was blocked in Brazil in late August – Copyright AFP/File Mauro PIMENTEL

Brazil’s Supreme Court said Tuesday it was lifting a ban on Elon Musk’s social network X, which was blocked in its biggest Latin American market for over a month amid a row over disinformation.

“I authorize the immediate return of the activities” of the social platform, Judge Alexandre de Moraes said in his ruling, after X settled millions of dollars in fines for failing to comply with a series of court orders.

He gave Brazil’s communications regulator 24 hours to make X accessible again to its millions of Brazilian users.

Moraes has for months been embroiled in a standoff with Musk, the world’s richest man, over a flood of online disinformation related to Brazil’s 2022 election campaign.

In August, the tensions came to a head when Moraes dramatically blocked X for failing to comply with his demands to remove dozens of right-wing accounts accused of spreading disinformation, and to name a new legal representative in Brazil.   

The row, which pitted freedom of expression against corporate responsibility, was closely watched worldwide. 

A furious Musk lashed out at Moraes by calling him an “evil dictator,” but X eventually complied with all of Moraes’s demands in order to have the suspension lifted.

Last week, Moraes confirmed that the company had also settled around $5.2 million in fines