Brazil Lifts X Ban; Users Access Without VPN, No Official Confirmation

Sep 18, 2024, 11:48 AM

Brazil's 22 million X users were banned from the platform, facing fines of up to 50,000 reais a day for using VPNs. Despite the ban, prominent right-wing politicians continued to post, citing free speech. X paid a R$7.28M fine but remained suspended for over two weeks. During this period, it continued to be Brazil’s #1 news app. Recently, users have reported that X is accessible again without VPNs, though no official confirmation has been made regarding the court's authorization of the platform's return. The Supreme Federal Court (STF) mentioned that the platform's release is due to instability in the blocking. Alexandre de Moraes, a key figure in the ban, remains a contentious figure in Brazilian politics.