Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said yesterday that Media Platform He said the service could be resumed. has been closed, according to a statement posted on the court’s website.
“The Minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), Alexandre de Moraes, has approved the resumption of social network It has been decided,” he said. Platform services.
The company had suspended operations across the country since August 30 due to repeated non-compliance with STF decisions.
The minister stressed that the only conditions for resuming operations are full compliance with Brazilian law and “absolute compliance with judicial decisions regarding national sovereignty.”
The Attorney General’s Office (PGR) said it found no reason to prevent the company from resuming operations.
The Elon Musk-owned platform, now known as X, was blocked in Brazil on August 30th. Brazil is a highly connected nation of 213 million people and one of X’s largest markets with an estimated user base of 20 million to 40 million.
The closure follows a long-running dispute with Musk over issues related to free speech, far-right accounts, misinformation and the legal requirement for designated attorneys to represent foreign companies before the government. It was ordered by Judge Alexandre de Moraes.
Mr. Musk has criticized Mr. de Moraes, branding him an authoritarian and a censor, but his rulings, including Mr. X’s nationwide suspension, have been repeatedly upheld by other judges.
Despite Mr. Musk’s public defiance, Mr. X ultimately complied with all of Mr. de Moraes’ demands. This included blocking certain accounts, paying approximately $5 million in unpaid fines, and appointing a legal representative in Brazil, the latter requirement of which was not met, leading to the suspension of the platform.
On August 28, just two days before the ban, Company X announced that it would remove all remaining employees in Brazil with “immediate effect” and that if Company X did not comply, Mr. de Moraes would become its legal representative in the country. He said he threatened to arrest the person, Rachel Conceição. Instructions to block accounts.
Brazilian law requires foreign companies to have a local legal representative to receive notice of the court decision and promptly take the necessary actions, in particular deleting the account in the case of Company X. .
Mr. Conceição was first appointed as X’s legal representative in April, but resigned four months later when X closed its remaining office in Brazil. The company reappointed her to the exact same position on September 20, according to a public filing with the São Paulo Commercial Register.
According to the company’s filing, Ms. Conceição’s new agency agreement requires that she comply with Brazilian law and court decisions and that any legal liability she assumes on behalf of Mr. A new clause has been added that requires written instructions from the government.
Conceicao works for the business services company BR4Business. The company’s two-page website offers no insight into its operations or staff. At the top of the site’s main page, it says in English: “Something great is happening.”
BR4Business does not have any employees in its office, and its employees appear to be working remotely from home or other locations.
While there is nothing inherently illegal or questionable about using a company like BR4Business as a legal representative, it does show that X is doing the bare minimum to operate in the country. says Fabio de Sá e Silva, a lawyer and associate professor of international and Brazilian studies. University of Oklahoma told The Associated Press.
“It shows no intention to truly engage with this country,” he added. “Take Meta and Google, for example. They have an office called Government Relations, which is exactly where they interact with public authorities and discuss Brazil’s regulatory policies regarding their business.” Silva added.
Indeed, Carlos Afonso Sousa, a Brazilian lawyer and think tank director, told AP News that it is unusual for an established and influential company like Company X to have only a legal representative. “The concern now is what happens next and how, once Company X resumes operations, it can respond to market and municipal demands without creating new tensions,” he said. said.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that Musk also owns Starlink, a satellite phone service with many customers in remote parts of Brazil. The Brazilian Supreme Court does not seem to accept that X and Starlink are two completely separate companies, as they are ultimately under the control of the same person, Elon Musk.
Sources: VOA, AP News, BBC, Brazilian Supreme Court.
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