Brazil’s Supreme Court has lifted the ban on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, after the company paid fines and complied with legal requirements.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes announced that X could immediately resume its activities in the country.
The ban was lifted after X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, paid 28 million reais ($5.1 million) in fines and blocked accounts accused of spreading misinformation about the 2022 Brazilian presidential election. The platform also agreed to appoint a local representative, as required by Brazilian law.
The ban had been imposed after X refused to block several accounts that the government said were sharing false information.
In response, Musk, a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist,” criticized the decision, calling it an abuse of power and a violation of free speech.
Musk had fired X’s staff in Brazil in August and closed its local office, calling the move difficult but necessary. Soon after, the Supreme Court ordered the entire platform to be blocked across Brazil. Many users switched to alternative sites like Bluesky, and demand for VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) surged.
However, by September, X began complying with the court’s orders, which led to the decision to lift the ban. The platform expressed its excitement to return to Brazil, saying, “Giving tens of millions of Brazilians access to our indispensable platform was paramount throughout this entire process.”
Brazil is one of X’s largest markets globally, with around 22 million users in the country. The ban’s lifting ensures that Brazilians can continue using the platform.
Anatel, Brazil’s telecoms watchdog, has been instructed to make sure that X’s service is fully restored within 24 hours.
