WORLD NEWS

Elon Musk’s X is back in Brazil after its suspension, having complied with all judicial demands

Oct 9, 2024, 12:22 PM

FILE - A view of a laptop shows the Twitter sign-in page with their logo, in Belgrade, Serbia, Mond...

FILE - A view of a laptop shows the Twitter sign-in page with their logo, in Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, July 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The social media platform X began returning to Brazil on Wednesday, after remaining inaccessible for more than a month following a clash between its owner, Elon Musk, and a justice on the country’s highest court.

Internet service providers began restoring access to the platform after Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes authorized lifting X’s suspension on Tuesday.

“TWITTER IS ALIVE,” Lucas dos Santos Consoli, known as luscas on X, wrote on the platform to his more than 7 million followers.

“I’m happy that the platform decided to follow the laws of Brazil and finally adapted, after all I’ve been using the app for almost 15 years so I can’t deny that I was missing it,” the 31-year-old told The Associated Press.

De Moraes ordered the shutdown of X on Aug. 30 after a monthslong dispute with Musk over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation. Musk had disparaged de Moraes, calling him an authoritarian and a censor, although his rulings, including X’s nationwide suspension, were repeatedly upheld by his peers.

Musk’s company ultimately complied with all of de Moraes’ demands. They included blocking certain accounts from the platform, paying outstanding fines and naming a legal representative. Failure to do the latter had triggered the suspension.

Brazil starts blocking Elon Musk’s X after company refuses to name local legal representative

Brazil — a highly online country of 213 million people — is one of X’s biggest markets, with estimates of its user base ranging from 20 million to 40 million.

“X is proud to return to Brazil,” the company said in a statement posted on its Global Government Affairs account. “Giving tens of millions of Brazilians access to our indispensable platform was paramount throughout this entire process. We will continue to defend freedom of speech, within the boundaries of the law, everywhere we operate.”

The Aug. 30 ban came two days after the company said it was removing all its remaining staff in Brazil. X said de Moraes had threatened to arrest its legal representative in the country, Rachel de Oliveira Villa Nova Conceição, if the company did not comply with orders to block accounts.

Brazilian law requires foreign companies to have a local legal representative to receive notifications of court decisions and swiftly take any requisite action — particularly, in X’s case, the takedown of accounts.

Sleeping Giants Brazil, a platform for activism that seeks to combat fake news and hate speech, said the resumption of X’s activities in Brazil marked “a significant victory for Brazilian democracy.”

“We understand that the actions taken to ensure that X complies with Supreme Court decisions, though severe, set an important precedent: no company, regardless of its global influence, is above the law,” it said in a statement.

Some of Brazilian X’s users have migrated to other platforms, such as Meta’s Threads and, primarily, Bluesky. It’s unclear how many of them will return to X.

In a statement to the AP, Bluesky reported that it now has 10.6 million users and continues to see strong growth in Brazil. Bluesky has appointed a legal representative in the South American country.

“Never get back with your eX,” Paul Frazee, a developer at Bluesky, wrote on the platform on Tuesday.

Brazil was not the first country to ban X — but such a drastic step has generally been limited to authoritarian regimes. The platform and its former incarnation, Twitter, have been banned in Russia, China, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Venezuela and Turkmenistan. Other countries, such as Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt, have also temporarily suspended X before, usually to quell dissent and unrest.

X’s dustup with Brazil has some parallels to the company’s dealings with the Indian government three years ago, back when it was still called Twitter and before Musk purchased it for $44 billion. In 2021, India threatened to arrest employees of Twitter (as well as Meta’s Facebook and WhatsApp), for not complying with the government’s requests to take down posts related to farmers’ protests that rocked the country.

Musk’s decision to reverse course in Brazil after publicly criticizing de Moraes isn’t surprising, said Matteo Ceurvels, research firm Emarketer’s analyst for Latin America and Spain.

“The move was pragmatic, likely driven by the economic consequences of losing access to millions of users in its third-largest market worldwide, along with the millions of dollars in associated advertising revenue,” Ceurvels said.

“Although X may not be a top priority for most advertisers in Brazil, the platform needs them more than they need it,” he said.

___

Ortutay reported from San Francisco

KSL 5 TV Live

World News

The Olympic rings at the Utah Olympic Park...

Will Graves National Writer, AP

Trump administration plans to pressure the IOC for a uniform transgender athlete ban

President Donald Trump is ready to take his fight against transgender athletes to the International Olympic Committee.

9 hours ago

FILE - U.S. Postal Service trucks park outside a post office in Wheeling, Ill., Monday, Jan. 29, 20...

Eric Cheung and Ramishah Maruf, CNN

US Postal Service suspends incoming parcels from China and Hong Kong

The US Postal Service says it has temporarily suspended the acceptance of incoming international parcels from China and Hong Kong until further notice.

1 day ago

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are expected to meet Tuesday, ...

Kevin Liptak, CNN

Trump says Palestinians should leave Gaza permanently and US will ‘take over’ strip

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the US “will take over” the Gaza Strip, after saying earlier that he doesn’t think there is a permanent future for Palestinians in Gaza.

1 day ago

Police at the scene of an incident at Risbergska School, in Örebro, Sweden, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025....

STEFANIE DAZIO

10 killed at adult education center, officials say it’s Sweden’s worst mass shooting

About 10 people, including the gunman, were killed on Tuesday at an adult education center in what Sweden’s prime minister called the country’s worst mass shooting.

1 day ago

Shipping containers are stacked at a port in Tianjin, China, Monday, Jan. 16, 2023....

Lorne Cook and Raf, Casert Associated Press

EU leaders scramble to avoid friction with the US under Trump and avoid a ‘stupid tariff war’

European Union leaders are grappling with how to respond to the United States as it appears determined to start a trade war.

2 days ago

Northeast Queensland residents evacuate due to deadly floods in Townsville on February 3, 2025. (Sc...

Helen Regan and Robert Shackelford, CNN

Australia braces for more destruction as deadly floods devastate northeast

Deadly floods triggered by record rainfall in Australia’s northeast rose for a third day Monday as authorities warned flood-stricken communities to brace themselves for further destruction.

3 days ago

Sponsored Articles

holiday gift basket with blue tissue paper and gingerbread cookies...

Kneaders Bakery & Cafe

Holiday hacks for a stress-free season

Get more out of your time with family and loved ones over the holidays by following these tips for a stress-free season.

2 computer techs in a computer shop holding up a computer server with the "hang loose" sign...

PC Laptops

A comprehensive guide to choosing the right computer

With these tips, choosing the right computer that fits your needs and your budget will be easier than ever.

crowds of people in a German style Christmas market...

This Is The Place Heritage Park

Celebrate Christkindlmarket at This Is The Place Heritage Park!

The Christkindlmarket is an annual holiday celebration influenced by German traditions and generous giving.

Image of pretty woman walking in snowy mountains. Portrait of female wearing warm winter earmuff, r...

Lighting Design

Brighten your mood this winter with these lighting tricks

Read our lighting tips on how to brighten your mood in the winter if you are experiencing seasonal affective disorder.

A kitchen with a washer and dryer and a refrigerator...

Appliance Man

Appliance Man: a trusted name in Utah’s home appliance industry

Despite many recent closures of local appliance stores, Appliance Man remains Utah's trusted home appliance business and is here to stay.

abstract vector digital social network technology background...

Les Olson

Protecting yourself against social engineering attacks

Learn more about the common types of social engineering to protect your online or offline assets from an attack.

Elon Musk’s X is back in Brazil after its suspension, having complied with all judicial demands