In another major blow to X in Brazil, a Supreme Court Justice has ordered Elon Musk’s X to pay a fine of $1.4 million for ignoring court orders. Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued the penalty this week after X failed to hand over user data tied to an account linked to Allan dos Santos, a vocal supporter of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro.

Brazilian authorities accuse dos Santos of spreading misinformation and have sought details about his profile since mid-2024. While X blocked the account, it argued it could not provide registration information, claiming the user had β€œno technical connection” to Brazil, according to ABC News.

De Moraes dismissed the explanation, slapping the platform with daily fines starting in August. By October, penalties ballooned to 8.1 million reais ($1.4 million). X initially appealed but later agreed to pay. The court’s ruling, made public Thursday, demands immediate payment, though it remains unclear if the company ever supplied the data.

This isn’t the first showdown. Last year, de Moraes temporarily shut down X nationwide after Musk announced plans to remove all Brazil-based staff, which violated laws requiring foreign companies to maintain local representatives. During the shutdown, many X users switched over to Bluesky. However, service resumed a month later when X complied with blocking certain accounts, appointed a legal representative, and paid earlier fines.

Musk has publicly sparred with de Moraes, calling the judge a β€œcriminal” and accusing him of suppressing free speech. De Moraes, a frequent target of Bolsonaro allies, has overseen high-profile probes into misinformation and far-right networks. His rulings, including the X shutdown, have been backed by fellow justices.

So it’s clear Brazilian authorities aren’t putting up with Musk’s defiance. It’s either comply or seize to operate in the region. Musk is yet to make a public statement about the fine at the time of this writing. So we’ll just have to wait and see how things pan out.

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Dwayne Cubbins
654 Posts

For nearly a decade, I've been deciphering the complexities of the tech world, with a particular passion for helping users navigate the ever-changing tech landscape. From crafting in-depth guides that unlock your phone's hidden potential to uncovering and explaining the latest bugs and glitches, I make sure you get the most out of your devices. And yes, you might occasionally find me ranting about some truly frustrating tech mishaps.

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