X started coming back online to users on Wednesday after the Supreme Court ended its suspension of the social media platform in Brazil, according to reports.
The ban was lifted after X complied with the court’s orders, named a new legal representative, and paid over $5 million in fines. The platform remained inaccessible for over a month in the country.
Last week, the Brazilian Supreme Court announced a new penalty on X for “circumventing” the ban. X became available to some users in September after what it claimed was an update its communications network.
Brazil is among X’s largest markets with nearly 40 million users.
X was suspended on August 31, 2024, following a flaring feud between Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes and X owner and billionaire Elon Musk. The saga unfolded in April after Brazilian authorities accused X of spreading hate and misinformation.
X denied the allegations. The platform, however, did take down certain accounts that had been flagged by the court. The feud blew up when X refused to name a new legal representative following the departure of its former representative from the country.
X claimed the authorities froze her bank accounts and harassed her, and refused to comply with the court’s order to name a new representative for investigation.
Tech companies in Brazil are bound by law to have a legal representative in the country.
Just days after the suspension of X, however, the platform stated it was working for restoration. X initiated official proceedings and submitted documents naming its new legal representative.
The use of VPNs to access X amid the blockage was penalised by the court, too, with a fine of up to $9,000 a day.
