Brazil’s Supreme Court announced on October 8, 2024, that it has lifted the ban on Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, which had been blocked for over a month due to a dispute over disinformation.
Judge Alexandre de Moraes issued the ruling, allowing X to resume operations in Brazil, the platform’s largest market in Latin America.
The ban was implemented in late August after X failed to comply with several court orders, including deactivating accounts associated with supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro and appointing a legal representative in Brazil.
In order to lift the suspension, X reportedly settled around $5.2 million in fines, which contributed to the resolution of the ongoing conflict.
Judge Moraes instructed Brazil’s communications regulator to make X accessible to its millions of users within 24 hours.
The platform had previously boasted 22 million users in Brazil, making it a significant player in the social media landscape.
Musk has not yet publicly responded to the court’s decision.
The standoff between Musk and Moraes garnered international attention, highlighting tensions between free speech and corporate accountability.
Musk, who has often described himself as a “free speech absolutist,” had previously criticized Moraes, referring to him as an “evil dictator” and “Voldemort.”
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The controversy began during Brazil’s contentious 2022 election, where disinformation campaigns proliferated on social media.
After the election, which saw Lula defeating Bolsonaro, tensions escalated further following violent protests by Bolsonaro supporters in January 2023.
As Brazilians sought alternatives during the ban, many migrated to other platforms like Threads and Bluesky, although neither has matched the user base of X.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva supported the court’s actions, emphasizing that the government would not be intimidated by any entities attempting to operate above the law.
With the ban lifted, X is expected to regain its place in Brazil’s vibrant digital landscape, though the platform continues to face scrutiny regarding its role in curbing disinformation.