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Brazilians regained access to X this week following the lifting of the Supreme Court ban on the social media platform, which came after X owner Elon Musk backed down in his fight with Brazilian authorities, Agence France-Presse reported.

On Tuesday, Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes announced the move, ruling that X had settled $5.2 million in fines for breaching court orders intended to fight against misinformation.

X also agreed to name a legal representative in the Latin American country.

The suspension of X in August was the culmination of a months-long fight between Musk and Brazilian authorities over allegations that the platform did not comply with the country’s strict Internet regulations aimed at curbing the spread of hate speech and political misinformation.

Brazil had ordered Musk to delete content that violated federal laws and ban users who allegedly spread defamatory fake news or made threats against Supreme Court justices.

Tensions escalated sharply in late August when Moraes blocked the platform for failing to deactivate accounts belonging to numerous supporters of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, and for failing to appoint a new legal representative in Brazil.

Musk – who initially refused to comply with the orders – admonished the judge for being an “evil dictator” and compared him to “Voldemort,” the villain in the Harry Potter franchise.

But he later relented, a move that observers believe came from pressure from investors in Musk-led firms, CNBC noted.

Analysts said the dispute highlighted the tensions between freedom of expression and corporate responsibility. Brazilian officials partly blamed the spread of online misinformation for the pro-Bolsonaro riots that rocked the country in January 2023.

Some commentators and pro-democracy activists welcomed the ban, saying the surrender of the social media giant to the rule of law was a victory for the country’s institutions and sovereignty, according to the Guardian.

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