Brazil’s Supreme Court has lifted the ban on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, allowing it to resume operations in the country. Justice Alexandre de Moraes authorised the “immediate return” of X after the platform paid substantial fines and blocked accounts accused of spreading misinformation.
According to the court, X paid fines amounting to 28 million reais ($5.1 million) and appointed a local representative, a requirement under Brazilian law. The platform was originally blocked after it refused to ban several profiles accused of spreading false information about the 2022 Brazilian Presidential election.
Anatel, Brazil’s telecoms regulator, was instructed to ensure the platform’s services are fully restored for its more than 20 million users within 24 hours.
X, owned by Elon Musk, had previously defied court orders for months. In late August, Musk fired the company’s Brazilian staff and closed its local office. He described the closure as a “difficult” decision, accusing Justice Moraes of abusing his power and violating free speech by ordering the removal of several dozen accounts.
A few days later, Justice Moraes ordered a full nationwide block of X, prompting many users to migrate to alternative platforms like Bluesky and leading to a surge in demand for Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in Brazil.
However, in September, X began to comply with the court’s orders, marking a reversal in its stance. On Tuesday, the platform announced it was “proud to return to Brazil,” stating that giving tens of millions of Brazilians access to X was “paramount” throughout the process.
X has now fulfilled all court requirements, leading to the lifting of the ban. Brazil is one of the platform’s largest global markets, with an estimated 22 million users, and the largest in Latin America.
