• X braced for Brazil ban as judge’s deadline passes
• The company recently shut down its office in Brazil, citing threats of arrest against its former representative for non-compliance
• Dispute began after X was accused of spreading disinformation

X braced for Brazil ban as judge’s deadline passes

Social media site X (formerly Twitter) is bracing for a potential ban in Brazil after missing a deadline to appoint a new legal representative in the country. The company recently shut down its office in Brazil, citing threats of arrest against its former representative for non-compliance with what it called “censorship” orders.

The dispute with Brazilian authorities began in April when Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered the suspension of several X accounts accused of spreading disinformation. X’s owner, Elon Musk, responded by threatening to reactivate the banned accounts and publicly criticising Justice Moraes, labelling him a “tyrant” and “dictator.”

Justice Moraes set a 24-hour deadline for X to designate a new legal representative or face suspension. The deadline passed just after 20:00 local time (23:00 GMT) on Thursday. According to the order, X will remain banned until it names a legal representative and pays fines for alleged legal breaches.

Shortly after the deadline, X confirmed in a post from one of its official accounts that it had not complied with the order, setting the stage for a potential showdown with Brazilian authorities.