X, the social media platform, paid a substantial fine of R$28.6 million ($5.1 million) to Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court in an attempt to resume operations.
This payment was intended to lift the suspension placed on the platform at the end of August. The fine split includes R$18 million ($3.3 million) from the X and Starlink accounts, both owned by Elon Musk.
An additional R$10 million ($1.8 million) is derived from access through Cloudflare. The company’s legal representative, Rachel Villa Nova, faced a fine of R$300,000 ($55,000).
X filed a petition with Judge Alexandre de Moraes, asking for the platform to be unblocked. Moraes instructed the Judicial Secretariat of the STF to verify the payment of the fine. It will then evaluate the unlock request.
However, a complication appeared in the payment process. Moraes said X deposited the fine amount into an incorrect account. The company used a Caixa account instead of the required court account at Banco do Brasil.
Moraes ordered the immediate transfer of funds to the appropriate account. He emphasized the need for proper payment arrangements before considering the request for unblocking. The Minister also instructed the General Prosecutor’s Office to issue an opinion on the matter.
X pays millions to regain access to the Brazilian market
The suspension of the platform followed the closure of its Brazil office by X. The move violated the country’s requirement for companies to maintain local representation. Elon Musk announced this shutdown after X received fines for not complying with court orders.
These orders required the removal of profiles under investigation for posting allegedly anti-democratic messages. X’s refusal to comply led to the penalties imposed and subsequent operational suspension.
Recently, X reactivated its legal representation in Brazil. Rachel Villa Nova resumed her role as the company’s legal representative. With this reactivation and payment of the fine, X hopes to restore its operation in the country.
