Elon Musk’s X To Pay A Fine? Brazilian Supreme Court Orders The Social Media Platform To Pay $1.42 million

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the social media platform X of billionaire Elon Musk purportedly to pay 8.1 million reais ($1.42 million) for not complying with judicial orders. The ruling was made public Thursday, indicating the continuing back-and-forth between social media companies and the authorities.

Why Does X have To Pay A Fine?

The legal dispute began last year when the Brazilian Supreme Court ordered X to remove a profile accused of spreading misinformation. The court also required the platform to provide registration data for the user behind the profile. When X failed to comply, it faced a daily fine of 100,000 reais. Additionally, the local legal representative of the company was exposed to potential criminal liability.

Court’s Decision and Fine Imposition

Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled this way: X has not obeyed the order for providing the demanded user data. Hence, the immediate payment by the organization of the accumulated fine of 8.1 million reais is insisted upon by the court. The ruling emphasizes the importance of implementing compliance with judicial determinations.

X’s lawyers, meanwhile, have declined to state anything about the subject. The company has also remained mum on any official statement on the High Court ruling, or on the part of the company regarding how it would go about the case.

Previous Legal Issues with X in Brazil

This is not the first instance where legal challenges have been mounted against the social media platform in Brazil. In 2024, X was temporarily suspended in that country for a period of over a month due to noncompliance with Brazilian court orders with regard to the moderation of hate speech. The platform was punished for not having appointed a legal representative in Brazil since it is a legal requirement to run their operation in the land.