X’s return to Brazil postponed as payment of fines remains unresolved
X has been suspended in Brazil since late August for failing to comply with court orders on hate speech moderation.
Brazil’s Supreme Court has delayed its decision on whether social media platform X can resume operations in the country due to issues regarding the payment of fines. Lawyers representing X argued that the company had made the payments correctly, but the court found that they did not pay to the proper bank, which remains the only unresolved issue for the platform’s reinstatement.
Since late August, X has faced suspension in Brazil, a significant market, following its failure to comply with court orders regarding hate speech moderation and the requirement to appoint a legal representative in the country. Earlier on Friday, X, owned by Elon Musk, submitted a new request to restore its services, claiming to have settled all outstanding fines.
In response to the request, Justice Alexandre de Moraes insisted that the payments must be transferred to the appropriate bank. He also noted that the prosecutor general of Brazil would provide input on X’s recent appeals once the fine payment situation is clarified.
After reversing its earlier stance and complying with court directives in recent weeks, including blocking specific accounts under investigation, X sought the court’s approval to resume services. However, de Moraes previously stated that the company needed to pay just over $5 million in fines before the suspension could be lifted.