The ongoing legal battle between Elon Musk's social media platform, X, and the Brazilian judiciary seems to have taken a turn as the platform has relented to court orders. X has complied with demands from Brazil's supreme court by appointing a legal representative within the country, paying fines, and removing user accounts flagged by the court for threatening the nation's democracy. Despite these concessions, the conflict is not fully resolved as the supreme court awaits proper documentation verifying the appointment of the Brazilian representative within five days.

The feud between Musk and supreme court justice Alexandre de Moraes erupted in April when the court instructed X to remove over 100 social media accounts that were raising questions about the legitimacy of Brazil's 2022 election results. Musk's decision to close X's Brazilian offices in August left the platform without a legal representative in the country, leading to further clashes with the judiciary. Moraes responded by ordering Brazilian mobile and internet providers to block access to X, escalating the standoff with Musk.

Last week, X re-emerged in Brazil after a software update claimed to have inadvertently restored service to Brazilian users. However, Moraes deemed this action as intentional, illegal, and persistent, slapping X with a hefty fine of R$5 million. This penalty adds to the existing R$18.3 million fines imposed on the platform. Musk has been vocal about defending free speech in response to legal orders to remove content in Brazil and Australia but has shown reluctance in addressing similar issues in other countries like Turkey and India. With a population of 200 million, Brazil presents a lucrative market for social media companies, prompting intense scrutiny over online platforms like X.