New York, Wednesday, October 09, 2024- Brazil’s Supreme Court has lifted the ban on X, formerly Twitter, after the platform paid $5.1 million in fines and complied with court orders, the BBC reported a while ago.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes authorized the immediate return of X’s activities after it blocked accounts accused of spreading misinformation related to the 2022 Brazilian presidential election.
The platform has also appointed a local representative, as required by Brazilian law.
Brazil’s telecom watchdog, Anatel, has been instructed to ensure service is restored for more than 20 million users within 24 hours. X, owned by Elon Musk, was previously banned for failing to comply with court orders. In August, Musk had fired the company’s Brazilian staff and closed its office.
Musk, a self-described “free-speech absolutist,” criticized the ban as a violation of free speech. After months of defiance, X reversed course in September and complied with the court’s demands.
X’s issues in Brazil started when it refused to remove accounts accused of spreading election misinformation. Justice Moraes expanded the ban to the entire platform, leading users to switch to alternatives like Bluesky, and VPN demand surged. X’s recent compliance has allowed the platform to restore access in Brazil, one of its largest global markets with an estimated 22 million users.
