Brazil judge says will lift Musk’s X ban if $1.8 million fine is paid.

Hawthorne: As per reports, Elon Musk's social platform, X (formerly Twitter), must pay a final fine of 10 million reals ($2 million) to be allowed back online in Brazil, following a ruling from Alexandre de Moraes, a judge on Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF). The platform was suspended nationwide at the end of August for non-compliance with court orders, and a panel of judges upheld this decision on September 2.

Reportedly, after filing compliance paperwork with the court earlier this month, X now faces a fine for an additional two days of non-compliance. The company’s legal representative in Brazil, Rachel de Oliveira, was also fined 300,000 reals.

The conflict began in April, when de Moraes opened a probe into Musk and X over alleged obstruction of justice. Musk defied court orders to remove certain accounts in Brazil, accusing the court of censorship. He called Judge de Moraes a "criminal" and advocated for the U.S. to cut off aid to Brazil.

In August, Musk shut down X’s offices in Brazil, leaving the platform without a legal representative, which is a federal requirement for tech companies to operate in the country. By August 28, de Moraes threatened further fines and a nationwide ban if X did not appoint a legal representative and comply with takedown requests for accounts linked to harmful actions against federal agents.

The STF responded by freezing the assets of Musk's companies operating in Brazil, including X and Starlink, viewing them as related entities. Musk fired back, threatening to seize Brazilian government assets if his company's property was not returned.

Meanwhile, Starlink competes with other satellite internet providers like eSpace, which recently gained approval to operate in Brazil.
Lukas Darien, a law professor at Brazil's Facex University, noted that the STF’s enforcement signals a shift in how large tech firms view Brazil’s legal system, emphasising that no company, regardless of size, is exempt from the law.

X has expressed its commitment to free speech and respecting national sovereignty while defending the importance of maintaining access to the platform in Brazil for a healthy democracy. Musk and his representatives have yet to comment further on the case.