Elon Musk Bows to Brazilian Court Demands After Weeks of Defiance
Well, he tried.
Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has given in to the demands of Brazil’s Supreme Court after a weeks-long standoff. The company, which had been blocked in Brazil for defying court orders, has now complied with key requirements set by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
X has taken down user accounts that the court deemed threatening to Brazil’s democracy, paid outstanding fines, and appointed a legal representative in the country. This move comes after Musk had previously criticized the court’s orders, describing them as censorship and referring to Justice Moraes as an “evil tyrant.”
Read: Brazilian Court Threatens to Pull Plug on X Over Legal Dispute
The dispute began in April when Justice Moraes ordered the removal of over 100 social media accounts questioning the results of Brazil’s 2022 election. Musk’s refusal to comply led to X’s offices in Brazil being closed and access to the platform being blocked nationwide.
The company’s sudden reversal appears to be a strategic decision to maintain its presence in Brazil, one of X’s most important international markets with an estimated 20 million users. During the blockade, Brazilian users had started migrating to rival platforms like Bluesky and Meta’s Threads.
While X claims to have met the conditions for returning to Brazil, the Supreme Court has stated that proper documentation for the appointment of the legal representative is still pending. The court has given the company five days to submit the necessary paperwork.
The situation has also affected Starlink, Musk’s satellite internet service, which had its assets frozen in Brazil for not enforcing the block on X. However, Starlink has since indicated its willingness to comply with the court’s orders.
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