After a month-long suspension, the Brazilian Supreme Court has authorized the resumption of operations for X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, owned by Elon Musk.

The suspension, which began on August 30, 2024, was a result of X's failure to comply with court orders regarding misinformation and far-right accounts, impacting 20 to 40 million users in Brazil.

The Supreme Court's decision to temporarily suspend X stemmed from its non-compliance with judicial decisions, with Justice Alexandre de Moraes labeling the platform a threat to democracy.

Prior to the suspension, X had already faced scrutiny for its inadequate measures against hate speech and misinformation, leading to significant fines.

To lift the ban, X paid over 28 million reais (approximately $5.1 million) in fines and appointed a local legal representative, Conceição, who must adhere to Brazilian law.

Following the lifting of the ban, X appears to have complied with the court's demands, including the suspension of accounts spreading disinformation.

Analysts suggest that X's compliance was driven by financial considerations and the potential loss of users to competing platforms.

During X's suspension, many users migrated to alternative platforms such as Meta's Threads and Bluesky, increasing competition in the social media landscape.

Current concerns focus on how X will navigate local regulations and market demands to avoid future conflicts with Brazilian authorities.

Critics have noted that X's minimal local legal representation raises questions about its genuine engagement with Brazil compared to competitors like Meta and Google.

Political commentator Gerson Camarotti emphasized that the ban was not censorship but rather an enforcement of judicial decisions to ensure accountability.

With the resumption of operations, X's Global Government Affairs team expressed pride in returning to Brazil while reaffirming their commitment to free speech within legal boundaries.