Brazil's Supreme Court has ordered X, the social media platform owned by billionaire Elon Musk, to pay a fine of 8.1 million reais ($1.42 million) for failing to comply with judicial orders. The decision, issued by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, was made public on Thursday, highlighting an ongoing battle over misinformation and regulatory compliance.
The fine comes from X's failure to provide registration information for a user accused of spreading lies. In July 2024, the platform received an order to block and deactivate an account allegedly linked to Bolsonaro ally Allan dos Santos and to provide user data to the court.
X cooperated with the order but stated that it wouldn't supply the requested information as it didn't collect such data, and the user had no technical connection to Brazil. De Moraes rejected this argument and issued a daily fee of 100,000 reais ($17,500) for violation, which accumulated to the 8.1 million reais penalty by October 2024.
This isn't the first time X has come into conflict with the Brazilian judiciary. In 2024, the platform was banned for a month in Brazil for failing to comply with hate speech moderation orders and failing to appoint a local legal representative, as required by Brazilian law.
De Moraes then threatened the company's legal representative with criminal prosecution, causing X to temporarily stop its services in Brazil. The platform was reactivated after meeting the court's requirements, which included appointing an official representative and obeying the account shutdown orders.
Musk and De Moraes have repeatedly clashed over issues of free speech and misinformation, with Musk accusing the justice of being an opponent of free speech. Despite Musk's criticism, De Moraes' orders were upheld by Brazil's highest court, affirming the country's strict stance on social media regulation.
Although X initially appealed the fine, later, it informed the court that it was going to comply with the payment order. However, it is unclear whether the company has provided the requested user data. For now, X's legal representatives in Brazil have declined to comment on the matter.