Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered social media platform X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, to pay a fine of 8.1 million reais ($1.42 million) for failing to comply with judicial directives, according to a ruling made public on Thursday.
The penalty stems from a legal case last year, in which the Supreme Court mandated X to remove a profile accused of spreading misinformation and provide the user’s registration data.
X’s failure to comply resulted in:
- A daily fine of 100,000 reais
- Potential criminal liability for the platform’s local legal representative
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who issued the ruling, criticized X’s continued noncompliance with the order and demanded immediate payment of the accumulated fine.
X’s legal representatives in Brazil have declined to comment on the decision.
This is not the first time X has faced legal trouble in Brazil.
In 2024, the platform was temporarily suspended for over a month due to:
- Failure to comply with court orders on hate speech moderation
- Noncompliance with the legal requirement to appoint a local representative in Brazil
The ruling highlights Brazil’s strict regulatory stance on social media platforms, particularly regarding:
- Misinformation control
- Content moderation
- Compliance with national laws
With ongoing legal scrutiny, X’s operations in Brazil continue to face mounting regulatory challenges as authorities seek greater accountability from digital platforms.
