Justice Alexandre de Moraes of the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court ordered the unblocking of the social network X in Brazil last week. The platform resumed full operations in the country. The blockade had been in place for approximately 40 days, following a decision made on August 30, when the company closed its Brazilian office and failed to maintain a legal representative in the country, a necessary requirement for any business to operate.
Billionaire Elon Musk, owner of the social network, announced the closure of the company’s Brazilian headquarters following a fine imposed for its refusal to comply with a court order to remove the profiles of individuals under investigation for posting messages deemed anti-democratic.
However, the representation was reinstated in recent weeks, with lawyer Rachel Villa Nova resuming her role as the network’s legal representative. Following the reopening of the representation and the payment of fines totaling BRL 28.6 million, X has requested the court to restore its operations.
Juscelino Filho, Brazil’s communication minister, called the company’s compliance a “victory for the country” in a statement. “We showed the world that here our laws should be respected, by whomever it may be,” he said.
With 21.5 million Brazilian users, the country was X’s sixth-biggest market.
Source: Agência Brasil and Reuters