In late August, Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered a nationwide block of the social media platform X, long known as Twitter. This had come after months of back and forth between X’s owner, Elon Musk, and Brazilian authorities.
The dispute began when the company refused to remove right-wing accounts accused of spreading false information. This led Judge Alexandre de Moraes to take decisive action, effectively shutting down X for millions of users across the country.
On top of them blocking X, the court targeted Musk’s other company, Starlink, freezing its Brazilian bank accounts. With this, intense fines were threatened against anyone using virtual private networks (or VPNS) to bypass the ban, which is what some users ended up doing to regain access to the platform.
How Did X Come Back Online?
Even after the official ban, many Brazilian users were surprised to find X accessible again in early September. This unexpected return was not due to any change in government policy but rather a technical adjustment by the company.
X switched its network provider to Cloudflare, a company known for protecting websites and rerouting internet traffic. This move allowed the platform to temporarily evade the government’s restrictions.
But, the restoration of X’s services was described as accidental. In a statement, X explained that the change was meant to help maintain services in other Latin American countries but unintentionally brought the platform back online in Brazil. X confirmed that they expect the platform to go offline again soon.
What Does This Mean for Users in Brazil?
While many users celebrated the platform’s brief revival, the situation is unstable. The Brazilian government, through its telecommunications agency Anatel, is aware of the situation and is preparing a report for the Supreme Court. Authorities are likely to take further action if X continues to operate in Brazil without permission.
Cloudflare, the company that X used to bypass the block, has a reputation for cooperating with government authorities. This raises the possibility that the company could eventually comply with an order to stop routing X’s traffic in Brazil. Though, blocking Cloudflare entirely could be a difficult form of action to take, as many businesses in Brazil rely on its services.
What Will Happen To X In Brazil From Here?
With the uncertainty, its a wonder what happens going forward. Brazilian regulators have already imposed fines on Musk’s companies for defying court orders, and further sanctions are possible if X remains accessible.
Judge de Moraes remains firm in his stance, having previously frozen assets belonging to Musk’s companies, such as Starlink, to make sure of Musk’s compliance with court decisions.
The discussion around free speech in Brazil is still very much alive and heated. President Lula da Silva has shown support for the ban, believing it is necessary for the topic of misinformation. On the other hand, former president Jair Bolsonaro and his allies from the right claim it violates free speech protections.
X’s future in Brazil when it comes to the technical and legal factors will be told with time. Whether the platform will manage to return for good, or face further government action, is still to be seen.
