X says complied with Brazil court orders, should be reinstated: source

Elon Musk’s X social media platform has complied with orders from Brazil’s Supreme Court and is asking for its suspension in the country to be lifted, a source close to the case told AFP on Thursday.

The platform formerly known as Twitter has been suspended since August 31 in Latin America’s largest country, where it had 22 million users.

Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes suspended X in Brazil after its billionaire owner Musk refused to remove dozens of right-wing accounts accused of spreading fake news, and then failed to name a new legal representative in the country as ordered.

The high-profile judge has been engaged in a long feud with Musk as part of his drive to crack down on disinformation in Brazil.

The company has now, however, presented new documents requested by Moraes and considers that it has satisfied all the court’s demands and should have its suspension lifted, the source close to the case said.

The company said it was “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,” in a post on X.

“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.”

The site had ultimately appointed a legal representative in Brazil. But last Saturday, Judge Moraes ruled that X had still not “duly fulfilled” all the conditions required to have his ban lifted, giving the company five days to provide further documents.

The judge had also ordered X to pay a fine of more than $900,000 a day for breaching its suspension on 18 September, when the platform became accessible again after an automatic update to the phone application.

X said the return of its service was “inadvertent and temporary,” but the government slammed it as a deliberate violation of the suspension.

The platform was blocked again the next day.

The Pinheiro Neto law firm, which represents X in Brazil, declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

The Supreme Court would also not provide further details, citing judicial confidentiality.

The suspension has infuriated Musk and the far-right, and fueled a fierce debate on freedom of expression and the limits of social networks, both inside and outside the country.

© 2024 AFP