In response, Judge Alexandre de Moraes ruled that X and its legal representative in Brazil are still required to pay a total of 18.3 million reais ($3.4 million) in previously mandated fines. The judge indicated that the court could utilize funds already frozen from X and Starlink accounts in Brazil, provided that the satellite company, also owned by Musk, withdraws its pending appeal regarding the funds' seizure.
Additionally, the judge imposed a new fine of 10 million reais ($1.8 million) due to a brief period last week when X was accessible to some users in Brazil. X, previously known as Twitter, has not yet responded to requests for comment. A source close to the company indicated that while it is likely to pay all fines, it may contest the additional 10 million reais penalty imposed by the court following the platform's ban.
X has been suspended in Brazil, one of its largest and most significant markets, since late August after Judge Moraes determined that it had not complied with orders to limit hate speech and appoint a local legal representative. Musk, who previously criticized the orders as censorship and labeled Moraes a "dictator," began to shift his stance last week when X's legal team confirmed that the platform had appointed a local representative and would comply with the court's directives.
In his ruling on Friday, Moraes acknowledged that X had demonstrated compliance by blocking accounts as required and had appointed the necessary legal representative in Brazil.