Brazil has fined Elon Musk’s companies, X (formerly Twitter) and Starlink, after users in the country were briefly able to access the social media platform X, despite a ban imposed last month.
The unexpected access occurred on Wednesday after the company updated its server configurations, but the platform was quickly blocked again.
On Thursday, a Brazilian court imposed a fine of five million reais ($920,000; £695,000) on Musk’s firms for violating the ban.
According to reports, X switched its network provider within Brazil, which inadvertently allowed the platform to be accessed again. In a statement, the company acknowledged the error, explaining that “a change of network providers resulted in an inadvertent and temporary service restoration to Brazilian users.”
An X spokesperson further clarified, “While we expect the platform to be inaccessible again in Brazil soon, we continue efforts to work with the Brazilian government to return very soon for the people of Brazil.”
Despite X’s explanation, the incident prompted Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes to accuse the company of a deliberate “trick” to bypass the ban. He fined X and Musk’s satellite company, Starlink, more than $920,000 for each day the platform remained accessible in Brazil.
Judge de Moraes has had a long-standing feud with X, which began in April when he ordered the suspension of several X accounts for allegedly spreading disinformation.
The platform was originally banned in August after it failed to meet a court-mandated deadline to appoint a legal representative in the country. Musk’s companies have previously disregarded Brazilian court orders, making it unclear whether the current fines will be enforced, particularly since X quickly reverted to its previous server setup.
Observers in Brazil are sceptical about X’s claim of inadvertent access. Basílio Rodriguez Pérez, an advisor to ABRINT, Brazil’s leading trade group for Internet Service Providers (ISP), suggested that the move seemed deliberate. “Everything that happened during the day led us to believe that it was on purpose,” Pérez remarked.
ABRINT’s tests revealed that X had shifted to Cloudflare-hosted servers and was using dynamic IP addresses, making it harder for the government to block the platform effectively. These dynamic addresses are often shared with critical services like banks and Brazil’s PIX digital payment system, meaning a blanket ban could disrupt key financial services.
“Many of these IP [addresses] are shared with other legitimate services, such as banks and large internet platforms, making it impossible to block an IP [address] without affecting other services,” Pérez explained.
Despite this, Cloudflare is well-positioned to assist the Brazilian government in reinforcing the ban, according to experts. Felipe Autran, a constitutional lawyer in Brasilia, stated, “Actually, I think the ban would be even more effective if Cloudflare really cooperates with the government.”
Brazil has long been a key market for Musk’s X platform, making the ban a significant setback. The ongoing feud between X and the Brazilian government underscores a larger struggle over free speech, disinformation, and regulation. Observers like Pérez expressed frustration with both sides, stating, “It’s a game of chess and we are the pieces on the board. But it’s not us who are playing. It’s the government and X who are playing.”
The conflict with Musk’s companies extends beyond X. Earlier this year, Starlink, Musk’s satellite internet company, suggested it would allow Brazilian users to access X through its satellite service. However, the company backed down after Brazil’s telecommunications regulator threatened to revoke its operating licence.
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