Elon Musk Backs Down In Battle With Brazil Lawmakers To Restore X After Blocking Users

Elon Musk has backed down from his battle with Brazilian lawmakers, installing a legal representative in the country in compliance with court orders.

Previously, Brazil’s supreme court blocked users of the platform until Musk followed rules including: appointing a legal representative in the country, paying outstanding fines and removing user accounts considered to be a threat to democracy.

The Guardian newspaper reports that Musk, who in retaliation closed down X’s offices in the country, meaning it was without the required legal representation, has now installed a new official Rachel de Oliveira Conceicao.

In April, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the removal of more than 100 social media accounts questioning the result of the country’s presidential election in 2022, and whether the former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro had really lost. When Musk objected, reiterating that he was a champion of free speech, Moraes ordered Brazil’s mobile and internet providers to block access to his social media platform.

The newspaper adds that the supreme court remains dissatisfied with the documentation over the appointment of de Oliveira Conceicao in the role, but has given X five days to rectify the papers.