X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, has temporarily reappeared for many users in Brazil after being blocked for over two weeks. This reactivation is due to X’s switch to Cloudflare’s DNS service, which has temporarily circumvented the restrictions imposed by Brazilian authorities. However, the company anticipates that the service will again become inaccessible in Brazil “soon.”
The platform was blocked in Brazil in late August following an order from Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes. This order required internet service providers to block X due to ongoing disputes between the platform and the Brazilian government regarding the refusal to block certain accounts. The conflict also impacted SpaceX’s Starlink, resulting in the freezing of its Brazilian bank accounts.
X’s spokesperson explained that the temporary restoration was unintended and occurred because the switch to Cloudflare inadvertently bypassed the block. The company is currently working with Brazilian officials to resolve the situation, though it expects that the block will be reinstated shortly. The New York Times reported that while X’s return was noticeable, service remained inconsistent.
Brazilian ISPs are now faced with the challenge of enforcing the court’s order, with potential fines imposed on users circumventing the ban through VPNs.
