Pathway to Resumption of Services

X, formerly Twitter, may soon resume operations in Brazil, but it faces a steep cost. The Brazilian Supreme Court has mandated an additional fine of 10 million reais (about $1.9 million) to lift its ban.

This fine adds to the 18.3 million reais ($3.4 million) penalty X already owes. Brazil has frozen accounts of X and its satellite partner, Starlink, to recover these fines. Judge Alexandre de Moraes has ruled that Starlink must drop its appeal to proceed.

Legal Battles and Changing Strategies

Throughout this year, X has faced legal battles with Judge Moraes over accounts spreading misinformation during elections, culminating in its ban from Brazil by late August.

In X’s absence, platforms like Bluesky attracted users seeking alternatives. Recently, however, X has altered its approach, agreeing to block problematic accounts, settle fines, and appoint a legal representative in Brazil.

Despite these changes, Moraes noted that X’s services appeared to be bypassed earlier this month due to its switch to Cloudflare infrastructure, raising regulatory concerns.

X’s Global Government Affairs account recently reiterated its commitment to local laws, emphasizing the importance of access for Brazilian users to support democracy.

As X navigates these challenges, the future of its Brazilian operations remains uncertain, with the new fine being a crucial step towards reestablishing its presence in South America’s largest market.