The ongoing conflict between X and Brazil has taken a new turn. Recently, Brazil’s Supreme Court revealed that X submitted payment of its fines to an incorrect bank, causing additional delays for the social media platform’s return to the country.
In August, Brazil’s highest court suspended X (formerly Twitter) due to the company’s failure to appoint a legal representative within Brazil. This decision followed owner Elon Musk’s refusal to adhere to local demands to remove misinformation and pay fines, which he described as “censorship orders.”
However, a resolution seemed imminent when, in September, X complied with Brazil’s requirements, agreeing to remove accounts disseminating false information, appointing a local representative, and paying owed fines.
Despite these efforts, challenges for X persisted. In late September, the Supreme Court indicated that X would have to pay an additional $5 million in fines on top of the previously paid $3.3 million to restore its operations in Brazil. On Friday, X submitted a request for the suspension to be lifted, claiming that all fines had been settled. In response, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes clarified that X needed to ensure the payments were directed to the correct financial institution. He also mentioned that the prosecutor general would evaluate the company’s request once the fines were correctly addressed.
X’s legal representatives contested claims that the payment—totaling approximately $5.24 million—had been misdirected, stating that they did not believe an opinion from the prosecutor general was necessary for X to resume operations in Brazil.
