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Tengrinews.kz - Brazil has lifted the ban on the social network X (formerly Twitter) after its owner Elon Musk conceded in his confrontation with the Supreme Court, ending a five-week blockade of the platform in a country with a population of 200 million, according to The New York Times.
The Brazilian Supreme Court stated that X had complied with its orders to block certain accounts deemed necessary to protect democracy, although Musk called this illegal censorship. The company also complied with other directives, including paying fines and appointing a new representative in Brazil.
"X’s compliance was a stark reversal for Mr. Musk, who had loudly criticized and defied the court for months, going so far as to publish its sealed orders and to close X’s offices in Brazil," the article stated.
In response, the Supreme Court ordered an immediate nationwide ban on the social network in August, sending millions of Brazilians to competing platforms.
However, X is now returning to Brazil, complying with directives that Musk had promised to resist. On Tuesday, X stated that the priority was to ensure access for millions of Brazilians to the platform and added that it would "continue to defend freedom of speech, within the boundaries of the law, everywhere we operate."
On Tuesday, Judge Alexandre de Moraes gave regulators 24 hours to unblock X in Brazil, although it may take longer. This apparent resolution of the months-long confrontation was a defeat for Musk: his company lost a month of operations in one of its largest markets, allowing competitors to strengthen their positions and ultimately returning to the starting point.
"However, despite the legal and business loss, Mr. Musk and his backers may view the ordeal as a public-relations victory," the newspaper writes.
The confrontation with the Brazilian Supreme Court brought Musk praise from an outspoken defender of free speech, even though his company complied with similar censorship directives in other countries.
The outcome was a victory for the Brazilian Supreme Court and Judge Alexandre de Moraes, whose actions to regulate the internet, including the blocking of X, sparked controversy. However, many in Brazil, particularly on the left, praised his stance as an example of how a developing country can stand up to the richest person in the world and his powerful technology empire.
"The turn of events in Brazil also suggests that nation-states still hold the upper hand in the ongoing power struggle with big tech companies," the article notes.
