Elon Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly known as Twitter), paid millions of dollars in fines in Brazil but mistakenly transferred the money to the wrong account, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes revealed on Friday. This payment followed a legal battle between the platform and Brazilian authorities over disinformation.
X accumulated $5.2 million in fines after failing to comply with multiple court orders, including demands to remove accounts spreading right-wing disinformation. Moraes, who ordered the shutdown of X in Brazil—the platform’s largest Latin American market—on August 31, confirmed that while the fines were fully paid, they were deposited into an incorrect account. He immediately ordered the funds to be redirected to the correct destination.
The social media giant faced a suspension in Brazil after Musk refused to remove numerous accounts accused of spreading false information and for not appointing a new legal representative in the country as required by law. At the time of the ban, X had around 22 million users in Brazil.
X has since appointed a legal representative and fulfilled other court-mandated conditions, with hopes that the payment of fines will resolve the dispute and reinstate its service in the country. However, the ban remains in place for now.
Musk’s public feud with Justice Moraes drew international attention, with the billionaire accusing the judge of being an evil dictator and comparing him to the Harry Potter villain, Voldemort. The clash between the two sparked debates surrounding freedom of speech and the fight against disinformation.
While Musk was vocal about the issue in the past, his recent comments have been subdued, and X appears to be taking steps to comply with Brazilian authorities to lift the platform’s ban.
X briefly resumed operations in mid-September through what it described as a technical error but was swiftly taken offline again after Moraes threatened additional fines.
The conflict dates back to Brazil’s 2022 presidential election, during which Moraes ordered the deactivation of accounts linked to supporters of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. Tensions heightened after Bolsonaro’s backers attacked federal buildings in Brasilia following the inauguration of leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in January 2023.