Brazil's Supreme Court lifts ban on social network X

(Patria) - Brazil's Supreme Court announced it is lifting the ban on Elon Musk's social network X, which had been blocked in its largest Latin American market for over a month due to a dispute over disinformation, AFP reported.

"I authorize the immediate resumption of activities" of the social platform, said Judge Alexandre de Moraes in a ruling, after X settled millions in fines for non-compliance with a series of court orders.

He gave Brazil's communications regulator 24 hours to make X available again to millions of Brazilian users.

Moraes has been embroiled in a conflict with Musk, the world's richest man, for months over the flood of online disinformation related to Brazil's 2022 election campaign. In August, tensions reached a peak when Moraes blocked X for failing to comply with his request to remove dozens of right-wing profiles accused of spreading disinformation and to appoint a new legal representative in Brazil.

The dispute, pitting freedom of expression against corporate responsibility, has been closely watched worldwide. An enraged Musk lashed out at Moraes, calling him a "vile dictator," but X eventually complied with all of Moraes's demands for the suspension to be lifted.

Last week, Moraes confirmed that the company had also settled fines of around $5.2 million.