Additional Coverage:
- Elon Musk’s X and Starlink face nearly $1 million in daily fines for alleged ban evasion in Brazil (nbcnews.com)
Elon Musk’s X Faces Daily Fines in Brazil for Alleged Ban Evasion
Brazil’s Supreme Court has imposed daily fines of $920,000 on X, Elon Musk’s social media platform, for allegedly violating a ban on the service in the country.
Suspension Upheld, Liability Extended
The suspension was initially ordered in August for X’s failure to appoint a legal representative in Brazil and remove harmful content. The court found that X continued to operate despite the ban. It has also extended the fines to Starlink, Musk’s satellite internet service.
Dynamic IP Addresses Complicate Blocking
X has switched to dynamic IP addresses, making it harder for internet providers to block the platform. However, the court has ordered Brazil’s telecommunication agency to block servers used by X to circumvent the ban.
Musk Lashes Out, X Complies
Musk has criticized the suspension and compared the court’s chief justice to villains from popular culture. Despite his opposition, X has reportedly started blocking accounts pursuant to the court’s orders.
Intentional Restoration of Access Denied
X claims the recent restoration of access in Brazil was inadvertent and temporary. They maintain that the platform will remain inaccessible in the country.
Cooperation from Cloudflare
Cloudflare is reportedly cooperating with Brazilian authorities to enforce the blocking of X. Before the suspension, X had a substantial user base in Brazil, estimated at 22 million.