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Brazi’s Supreme Court Thursday ordered Elon Musk’s X to suspend its access in the country or face a daily fine of over $900,000, after the social media platform restored service despite a nationwide ban.
X suddenly went live in Brazil on Wednesday after an apparent update to its communications network that allowed it to use cloud services via third parties.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes — who for months has clashed with Musk over X’s practices — said that a “recalcitrant” X had unlawfully, persistently and intentionally” failed to respect judicial orders.
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Earlier this year, de Moraes asked X to block certain accounts that were accused of spreading fake news and hate messages during former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration. A series of legal disputes followed until de Moraes issued an ultimatum, requiring X to appoint a legal representative before the court or face suspension.
Musk — who said de Moraes was attacking free speech — refused to do so, leading to the app’s ban three weeks ago. The Supreme Court also threatened Brazilian citizens with a $9,000 fine for using VPNs to access X.