Brazil Court Orders X to Pay $5M Before Service Resumption

Brazil’s Supreme Court announced on Friday that social platform X must still pay over $5 million in outstanding fines, including a newly imposed one before it can resume operations in the country, as stated in a court document.

Earlier this week, the U.S. company owned by Elon Musk informed the court that it had complied with orders to curb misinformation and requested that the platform ban be lifted.

However, Judge Alexandre de Moraes ruled that X and its legal representative in Brazil are still required to settle a total of 18.3 million reais ($3.4 million) in previously ordered fines.

The judge mentioned that the court could use the resources already frozen from X and Starlink accounts in Brazil. However, to access these funds, the satellite company—also owned by Musk—must withdraw its pending appeal against the asset freeze.

Additionally, the judge imposed a new 10 million reais ($1.8 million) fine related to a brief period last week when the platform became accessible to some users in Brazil, despite the ban.

Also Read: X Plans to Request Service Restoration in Brazil

According to a source close to X, the company is likely to pay all outstanding fines but may contest the extra 10 million reais penalty imposed after the platform ban.

The platform has been suspended since late August in Brazil, one of its largest and most lucrative markets, following Moraes’ ruling that it had not complied with directives to curb hate speech and designate a local legal representative.

Musk, who previously criticized the orders as censorship and labelled Moraes a “dictator,” softened his stance last week. X’s legal team stated that the platform had now appointed a local representative and would comply with the court’s rulings.

In Friday’s ruling, Moraes confirmed that X had demonstrated compliance by blocking the required accounts and appointing the legal representative in Brazil.