The Supreme Federal Court (STF) of Brazil has announced that social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, remains barred from operating within the country until a previously imposed fine is transferred to the correct government account. This decision was communicated by the court on Friday, highlighting the importance of proper compliance with judicial financial requirements (STF announcement).
X, which has been subject to operational suspension in Brazil since August, made a recent petition to the court asserting the complete payment of the monetary penalties. On the same day, the STF clarified that the R$28.6 million deposit was not sent to the account specified for the case, even though X was well aware of the correct account details (official petition).
Justice Alexandre de Moraes has directed the Judicial Secretariat to facilitate the transfer of these funds to the proper account without delay. Nevertheless, he emphasized that X could resume Brazilian operations only once this financial transaction is satisfactorily completed (transfer directive).
The backdrop of this legal entanglement involved the STF’s decision in August to suspend X for its non-compliance with court-ordered directives to restrict specific accounts accused of spreading misinformation and hate speech during the administration of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Moreover, the platform was penalized for not appointing a local representative in Brazil, a requirement under Brazilian law for ensuring compliance with local regulations (initial suspension).
Despite X’s recent actions to appoint a local representative and to claim the fulfillment of legal obligations, the court’s decision underscores the necessity of accurate financial transactions. The owner of X, Elon Musk, has previously criticized the Brazilian court’s decisions, alleging an infringement on free speech.
For more on this development, visit the original report on Jurist.