We reported in August that social network X was banned in Brazil following Elon Musk’s dispute with Brazil’s Supreme Court. More than a month later, Musk’s company has decided to backtrack and defer to Brazilian courts. A Brazilian court just ruled that X can be unblocked domestically.
Following a Supreme Court injunction, X returns to Brazil.
For context, major social platforms like X are regulated by Brazilian law, which holds these platforms responsible for the content their users share. But since Elon Musk acquired Company X in 2022, he has explicitly criticized Brazilian court demands to remove some accounts accused of spreading misinformation and fake news.
Earlier this year, Musk decided to close the X office in Brazil and laid off all employees at the branch in the country. However, Brazilian law requires large foreign companies operating in the country to have a legal representative in Brazil.
It happened on August 30th, when a court ruled that Company X would be banned from operating in Brazil because Musk’s company went abroad and did not comply with the court’s demands. Company X had over 20 million active users in Brazil, so losing them would have a material negative impact on the platform.
Musk initially scoffed at the Brazilian court’s decision, but the company later decided to comply with the request. X paid a fine of 28.6 million reais (approximately 5 million USD) and agreed to suspend its account as requested by the Brazilian government. Ironically, X even transferred money to pay the fine to the wrong bank account during the process.
Brazil’s Supreme Court initially ruled that Apple and Google should remove the X app from the App Store and Google Play, but the court softened the decision, allowing Brazilians to continue using the app. (But only works with VPN). However, use during the ban period could result in a $10,000 fine.
Although the situation has calmed down in Brazil, X’s controversial policies have also raised eyebrows in Europe, with the EU considering sanctions against X.
Via NPR.
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