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Brazil Lifts Ban on X, Restores Access for 22 Million Users via Cloudflare Update by Elon Musk

Sep 18, 2024, 06:42 PM

Brazil has lifted its ban on the social media platform X, allowing its 22 million users to access the service again. The ban had initially been imposed by Brazil's Supreme Court, with users facing fines of up to 50,000 reais per day for using VPNs to access the platform. Despite the ban, many right-wing politicians continued to use X, citing freedom of speech. The platform's return was facilitated by an update to Cloudflare software, which uses dynamic IP addresses, making it difficult for Brazilian regulators, including Anatel, to block access. The Brazilian Association of Internet and Telecommunications Providers (ABRINT) confirmed that the update to Cloudflare was the reason for the restored access. The platform had been blocked for three weeks. Elon Musk's involvement in changing the hosting of the servers to Cloudflare played a crucial role in circumventing the ban. The U.S. Press Secretary commented on the situation, advocating for access to social media as a form of freedom of speech.