Brazil Supreme Court Escalates Dispute with Elon Musk’s X Platform

In a recent development in the ongoing conflict between Brazil’s judiciary and Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the country’s top Supreme Court official has imposed additional financial penalties on the company.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes has ordered X to pay an additional 10.3 million reais (approximately $1.9 million USD) if it wishes to resume operations in Brazil. This decision comes after X allegedly violated a previous ban by remaining accessible to Brazilian users, including through Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service. (via Bloomberg)

The court also fined X’s legal representative in Brazil, Rachel de Oliveira Villa Nova Conceição, 300,000 reais (about $55,209 USD).

Conditions for Reinstatement

Justice Moraes stated that X’s return to Brazil is contingent upon “full compliance with Brazilian legislation and the absolute observance of the court orders in respect of national sovereignty.”

Background of the Dispute

• August 30: X was officially banned in Brazil for failing to comply with a court order to block certain accounts within a two-hour deadline.
• Subsequently, Brazilian authorities froze X and Starlink bank accounts, which were later unfrozen after the companies paid approximately $3.3 million in legal fines.
• Musk encouraged Brazilian users to use VPNs to access X, prompting threats of additional daily fines from the court.

Earlier Conflicts

The tension between Musk and the Brazilian judiciary dates back to April when Musk accused Justice Moraes of threatening X employees, potentially forcing the closure of X’s Brazil offices.

Current Status

X’s legal representatives have not commented on the latest court order. The situation remains fluid, with the platform’s future in Brazil hanging in the balance as the dispute between Musk and the Brazilian Supreme Court continues.