Brazil lifts ban on Elon Musk’s X after complying with Supreme Court demands

The Brazilian Supreme Court's Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Tuesday authorised the restoration of social media platform Xôs service in Brazil, over a month after its nationwide shutdown, according to a court document that was made public.

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 user base ranging from 20 to 40 million. De Moraes ordered the shutdown after a months-long dispute with Musk over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation. Musk had disparaged de Moraes, calling him an authoritarian and a censor, even though his rulings, including X’s suspension, were repeatedly upheld by his peers.

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