Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice has ruled that the suspension levied on X can be lifted once the social media platform has paid a final fine.
The ban was put in place at the end of August and led to a furious tirade by X’s owner, Elon Musk.
While it was five judges who ruled unanimously to enact the suspension citing obstruction of justice, criminal organization and incitement to crime, it was Minister Alexandre de Moraes who faced Musk’s wrath and was called an “evil tyrant.”
Defiance to Compliance
Ironically, it is de Moraes who has now made the decision that X is in compliance with the original court order.
Brazil’s G1 Globo has reported that X has to pay a new fine of 10 million reals (about $2 million) for two additional days of non-compliance with the court’s orders.
CNBC adds: “X’s legal representative in Brazil, Rachel de Oliveira, is also required to pay a fine of 300,000 reals.”
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Nationwide Ban
The case has been rumbling on since April, when the Brazilian Government first started investigating X amid allegations of obstruction of justice.
The social media platform was told to take down certain accounts, but Musk dug his heels in. And more than this, he closed down the company’s offices in Brazil and ranted that the US Government should stop all foreign aid to the country.
However, by closing the offices, Musk also left the company without legal representation in Brazil and this is a requirement for all technology platforms. By the end of August, the Brazilian courts were threatening suspension if a legal representative wasn’t appointed and if the offending accounts weren’t removed.
X Remains Unrepentant
The night before the decision, X published a statement in which it said: “X is committed to protecting free speech within the boundaries of the law and we recognize and respect the sovereignty of the countries in which we operate. We believe that the people of Brazil having access to X is essential for a thriving democracy, and we will continue to defend freedom of expression and due process of law through legal processes.”
This may have just been Round One!
