Fri Sep 20 07:30:00 UTC 2024: ## Elon Musk’s X Faces $900,000 Daily Fines for Defying Brazil Block

**Brasília, Brazil** – Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered Elon Musk’s X to be blocked in the country again after the platform bypassed previous restrictions through a software update. The court, led by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has been in a public feud with Musk for months, is imposing a daily fine of 5 million reais (around $922,000) if the platform remains accessible.

The initial block was imposed in August after Musk refused to remove specific accounts and appoint a legal representative for X in Brazil. However, the platform was unexpectedly accessible this week due to a technical change in its traffic routing. This prompted the court to issue a new order instructing internet providers Cloudflare, Fastly, and EdgeUno to cut off access to X.

The court also included Musk’s satellite internet provider, Starlink, in the order, potentially subjecting it to the same fines. Notably, the court had already seized 18.35 million reais from Musk’s companies, including Starlink, for previous penalties.

X, formerly known as Twitter, has maintained that the service restoration was “inadvertent and temporary” and that they are working to comply with the court’s orders. Reports suggest that the platform has begun to comply with requests to suspend certain accounts and is preparing to name a legal representative in Brazil.

Despite X’s statements, Brazil’s telecommunications regulator, Anatel, stated that the company’s actions demonstrate “a deliberate intention to disregard the order” and expects the block to be re-established soon. Users in Brazil have already reported losing access to the platform.

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