For more than a month, the social network X had been completely suspended in Brazil, the site was still active, but it was blocked by all ISPs in the country. After a confrontation with the Brazilian Supreme Court, X management decided to respect the orders of Judge Alexandre de Moraes and pay the fines. A Brazilian court finally gave the green light for X’s return to the country.
X is back in Brazil
The social network X recently regained its place on the screens of Brazilian users after going through a period of tense conflict with the country’s authorities. In August 2024, the Brazilian Supreme Court imposed a ban on the platform in response to a categorical refusal by Elon Musk to comply with a court order. The high court had demanded the suspension of several accounts that had spread false information regarding the elections, a request that Musk had initially rejected in the name of freedom of expression.
The ban, which took effect on August 30, affected around 20 million active users in Brazil, forcing them to turn to alternative platforms such as Meta-owned Threads. Those who attempted to access X via a VPN risked a hefty $10,000 fine if caught red-handed.
Finally, more than a month after the ban began, X capitulated by agreeing to comply with the Supreme Court’s demands. At the end of September, the company paid a fine of 28.6 million reais (approximately 5.1 million euros) and suspended the accounts targeted by the Brazilian justice system. This turnaround was essential to restore access to the platform for users in the country.
Elon Musk’s persistent refusal to apply censorship measures (despite numerous government requests since his acquisition of Twitter in 2022) had often led to international standoffs. If certain countries gave up in the face of this lack of cooperation from X, Brazil, for its part, did not give in, maintaining the pressure on the billionaire.
Brazilians can now return to X without a VPN and without the risk of a $10,000 fine. They will find their account as they left it as well as their followers and their subscriptions to other accounts.
