Musk is obligated to pay an additional penalty to reinstate X in Brazil
A leading Brazilian judge has instructed Elon Musk to pay an additional fine if he wishes to lift the ban on X. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The platform was suspended nationwide at the end of August for failing to censor accounts spreading “disinformation.”
Elon Musk faces the requirement of paying another fine to lift a nationwide ban on his X platform in Brazil, according to local media reports citing a Supreme Court filing from Friday. Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the fine after X was briefly accessible in Brazil despite the existing ban, reportedly due to Musk’s satellite internet service, Starlink.
The conflict with Brazilian authorities began in April when Moraes instructed X to remove several accounts accused of spreading disinformation. Musk declined, arguing that this would contravene Brazilian law.
On August 30, Moraes imposed a nationwide ban on X, accompanied by a fine for the platform’s failure to appoint a new legal representative in Brazil. He also ordered the freezing of accounts associated with X and Starlink, a Musk-owned subsidiary in the country, to ensure the fine’s enforcement.
In mid-September, the court unblocked these accounts but withdrew 18.35 million Brazilian reais to enforce the payment of the fine.
Musk initially resisted Moraes’ directives, labeling him “an evil dictator cosplaying as a judge.” However, X’s legal team announced this week that the platform had addressed the court's concerns, such as appointing attorney Rachel de Oliveira as its new legal representative, and requested to have the ban lifted.
The court noted that it had received a report from Brazil’s telecommunications regulator indicating that X was accessible for two days last week, despite the suspension. Moraes accused Musk of “deliberately and illegally” attempting to “circumvent” the ban and mandated that he pay an additional fine of 10.3 million reais to restore the platform in Brazil. Additionally, Oliveira was ordered to pay a fine of 300,000 reais.
“The immediate return of X depends solely on the full compliance with Brazilian legislation and the absolute observance of the court orders in respect of national sovereignty,” Moraes stated in the court order.
X’s legal team in Brazil has not commented on Moraes’ latest ruling, and Musk has remained unusually silent on the matter thus far.
For more stories on economy & finance, visit RT's business section.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
Elon Musk faces the requirement of paying another fine to lift a nationwide ban on his X platform in Brazil, according to local media reports citing a Supreme Court filing from Friday. Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the fine after X was briefly accessible in Brazil despite the existing ban, reportedly due to Musk’s satellite internet service, Starlink.
The conflict with Brazilian authorities began in April when Moraes instructed X to remove several accounts accused of spreading disinformation. Musk declined, arguing that this would contravene Brazilian law.
On August 30, Moraes imposed a nationwide ban on X, accompanied by a fine for the platform’s failure to appoint a new legal representative in Brazil. He also ordered the freezing of accounts associated with X and Starlink, a Musk-owned subsidiary in the country, to ensure the fine’s enforcement.
In mid-September, the court unblocked these accounts but withdrew 18.35 million Brazilian reais to enforce the payment of the fine.
Musk initially resisted Moraes’ directives, labeling him “an evil dictator cosplaying as a judge.” However, X’s legal team announced this week that the platform had addressed the court's concerns, such as appointing attorney Rachel de Oliveira as its new legal representative, and requested to have the ban lifted.
The court noted that it had received a report from Brazil’s telecommunications regulator indicating that X was accessible for two days last week, despite the suspension. Moraes accused Musk of “deliberately and illegally” attempting to “circumvent” the ban and mandated that he pay an additional fine of 10.3 million reais to restore the platform in Brazil. Additionally, Oliveira was ordered to pay a fine of 300,000 reais.
“The immediate return of X depends solely on the full compliance with Brazilian legislation and the absolute observance of the court orders in respect of national sovereignty,” Moraes stated in the court order.
X’s legal team in Brazil has not commented on Moraes’ latest ruling, and Musk has remained unusually silent on the matter thus far.
For more stories on economy & finance, visit RT's business section.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
