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Musk reversed stance, complied with court orders

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Brazil's communication minister calls it a victory

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X faced similar disputes in Australia, UK

BRASILIA, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Brazil's Supreme Court

cleared X to resume service in the country on Tuesday, after the

social media platform reversed course and started complying with

court rulings billionaire owner Elon Musk had previously vowed

to resist.

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who had been locked

in a months-long feud with Musk, gave X the green light to

resume operations in Latin America's largest country effective

immediately.

In the decision, Moraes said X had met all the necessary

requirements to start operating again in the country.

The platform formerly called Twitter had been suspended in

Brazil, one of its largest and most-coveted markets, since late

August after not complying with court orders related to hate

speech moderation and failing to name a legal representative in

the country, as required by law.

Musk, who had denounced the orders as censorship and called

Moraes a "dictator," started to reverse his position in recent

weeks, with his social media network blocking accounts flagged

by the court, tapping a local representative and paying pending

fines.

Moraes, in his Tuesday decision, ruled that Brazil's

telecommunications regulator Anatel must work to allow X to come

back online within 24 hours. Users in Brazil were still unable

to access the platform as of 7 p.m. local time.

Through its Global Affairs account, X said it was proud to

return to Brazil, adding that it "will continue to defend

freedom of speech, within the boundaries of the law" in the

countries where it operates.

The Brazil dispute was one of a series of recent face-offs

between Musk, who views himself as a champion of free speech,

and governments including Australia and the United Kingdom

seeking to prevent the spread of online misinformation.

Brazil's communication minister said on Tuesday that X's

decision to pay the fines and comply with court orders was a

"victory for the country."

"We showed the world that here our laws should be respected,

by whomever it may be," Juscelino Filho said in a statement.

JUDICIAL BATTLE

X's suspension initially came after an individual ruling by

Moraes, who has spearheaded a local crusade against perceived

attacks on democracy and the political use of disinformation.

His ruling was later unanimously backed by a five-member panel

of the Supreme Court and its chief justice.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also voiced support for the

move, saying that people with businesses in Brazil must follow

local laws and the world was "not obliged to put up with Musk's

far-right ideology just because he is rich."

Justices flagged at the time, however, that they would be

open to reconsidering the suspension if X complied with rulings.

The social media company initially said it would not abide by

them because they were "illegal."

Brazil is X's sixth-biggest market globally and as of April

had about 21.5 million users, according to data platform

Statista. During the suspension, many users migrated to rival

platforms such as Bluesky and Meta Platforms ( META ) -owned

Threads.

X had legal representation in Brazil until mid-August, when it

decided to close its offices in the country due to the orders

from the court, which it dubbed "censorship orders," without

naming someone to assume legal responsibilities for the firm

locally.

That eventually triggered the suspension, in a judicial battle

that also affected another prominent business controlled by

Musk, satellite Internet provider Starlink, whose accounts

Moraes temporarily froze in order to cover fines imposed on X.

A new X representative, lawyer Rachel de Oliveira Conceicao, was

tapped in late September, when X also said it had started to

block accounts ordered by the court.

Earlier this month, the firm paid pending fines it had

previously disdained, opening the door for reinstatement in the

country.

With the suspension, X remained out of service in Brazil during

the final month of the country's municipal elections, which

occurred on Sunday.

In many cities, however, including Sao Paulo - Latin America's

largest city - mayoral elections will head to run-offs on Oct.

27.