Brazil’s Supreme Court announced on Tuesday that it is lifting a ban on Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), which has been blocked for over a month in its most significant Latin American market due to a dispute over disinformation.
Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who issued the ruling, authorized the platform’s immediate return after X settled millions of dollars in fines for failing to comply with various court orders.
Moraes ordered Brazil’s communications regulator to restore access to X within 24 hours for its Brazilian users.
The conflict between Moraes and Musk had been brewing for months, centered around a surge of online disinformation during Brazil’s 2022 election campaign.
In August, tensions escalated when Moraes blocked the platform for not removing dozens of right-wing accounts accused of spreading false information and failing to appoint a new legal representative in Brazil.
The dispute, which attracted global attention as it raised questions about balancing freedom of expression with corporate accountability, reached a peak when Musk publicly criticized Moraes, referring to him as an “evil dictator.” However, X eventually complied with the judge’s demands to have the suspension lifted.
Last week, Moraes confirmed that X had paid approximately $5.2 million in fines, allowing the platform to resume operations in Brazil.
