The Blubber

Brazil's Supreme Court lifted the ban on social media platform X on Tuesday, allowing it to resume operations after being blocked for over a month due to a dispute over disinformation. Judge Alexandre de Moraes issued the ruling, reinstating the platform after X paid millions in fines for failing to comply with court orders aimed at curbing misinformation.

In late August, Moraes had suspended X after its owner, Elon Musk, refused to appoint a legal representative in Brazil. The conflict between Moraes and Musk had been intensifying for months, with allegations that X was involved in obstruction, criminal activity, and incitement. The platform was accused of supporting "digital militias" who spread defamatory fake news and threats against Supreme Court justices.

The case, which highlighted the tension between freedom of speech and corporate accountability, garnered global attention. Musk, furious at Moraes, had publicly called him an "evil dictator" and even compared him to "Voldemort" from the "Harry Potter" series.

Moraes instructed Brazil's communications regulator to restore access to the platform within 24 hours. X expressed its satisfaction with the ruling, writing, "X is proud to return to Brazil... We will continue to defend freedom of speech, within the boundaries of the law, everywhere we operate." Musk has yet to comment on the decision.

According to market research group Emarketer, around 40 million Brazilians, or one-fifth of the population, use X at least once per month.

Tensions reached a breaking point on August 31 when Moraes blocked X for failing to shut down accounts of supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro and for not naming a legal representative in the country. X eventually met all of Moraes's demands, including settling approximately $5.2 million in fines.

During the suspension, many Brazilians, including President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, migrated to alternative platforms like Threads and Bluesky, though neither has matched the popularity of X.

The conflict between X and Moraes originated during the October 2022 election, when Bolsonaro failed to secure re-election. It intensified after Bolsonaro's supporters attacked federal buildings in Brasilia following Lula's inauguration in January 2023.