Brazil Lifts Ban on Elon Musk’s X and Starlink After $3.31 Million in Fines

Brazil has lifted the bans on Elon Musk’s X and Starlink after the companies paid a combined total of 18.35 million reais ($3.31 million) in fines. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the removal of restrictions that had been imposed during a dispute between Musk and the Brazilian judiciary.

The bans, which had been in effect since last month, were enforced after X, formerly Twitter, faced legal pressure from Brazilian authorities. Justice Moraes had imposed a daily fine of $9,000 for any violations using a VPN. X is highly popular in Brazil, boasting over 22 million users, far surpassing the user base of Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok in the region.

The conflict began when X’s Brazilian representative was reportedly threatened with legal action for failing to comply with orders to remove certain content. X responded by closing its Brazilian operations, citing threats to staff safety and challenging the constitutionality of Moraes’s orders.

Earlier this year, Moraes had demanded the removal of accounts spreading fake news and hate speech, particularly related to the administration of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Musk’s move to reinstate these accounts led to a further legal inquiry against him.