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Elon Musk’s social media platform used a technical maneuver to restore service for many Brazilians after a court blocked it. Regulators were trying to ban it again. Experts predicted it would be difficult.
Sept. 18, 2024, 4:14 p.m. ET
In his ongoing fight with the Brazilian authorities, score one for Elon Musk — at least for now.
On Tuesday, his social network, X, suddenly went live again for many across Brazil after three weeks of being blocked under orders from Brazil’s Supreme Court.
The reason? X made a technical change to how it routes its internet traffic, enabling the site to evade the digital roadblocks set up in recent weeks by Brazilian internet providers.
The president of Brazil’s telecommunications regulator, Anatel, confirmed X’s maneuver and said his agency was evaluating how to block the platform again.
The new twist showed how Mr. Musk appears far from backing down in Brazil, making the dispute a significant test of strength between national sovereignty and the borderless power of internet companies.
Brazil’s Supreme Court blocked X because the company defied orders to remove certain accounts and then closed its offices in the country to avoid consequences.
Days later, a separate company controlled by Mr. Musk, the satellite-internet provider Starlink, told Brazilian regulators it would continue to deliver X directly to Brazilians from satellites in space. Starlink later backed down after regulators made clear the company would lose its license in Brazil.
