Restoring Twitter’s operations in Brazil may face further delays after a substantial financial error involving funds sent to an incorrect bank.
Under Elon Musk’s leadership, Twitter has encountered various challenges. Many users have voiced their dissatisfaction with purportedly unnecessary modifications on the platform, while others have taken more drastic actions.
Since late August, Twitter has been suspended throughout Brazil due to non-compliance with court mandates concerning hate speech moderation and the absence of a legally required representative in the country.
Brazil is a significant market for Twitter, prompting the company to actively seek resolutions. A Reuters article indicates that settling fines is the final requirement from the courts for Twitter’s reauthorization in Brazil.
On October 4, Twitter submitted a new request to reinstate its services, claiming all fines had been paid. However, a major mistake occurred.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes responded, indicating the payment needed redirection to the correct bank.
Justice Moraes also mentioned that after the payment issue is resolved, Brazil’s prosecutor general will evaluate the recent appeals by Twitter’s legal team in Brazil.
Moraes highlighted that Twitter had mistakenly paid 28.6 million reais ($5.24 million) to the wrong bank, leading to a delay in his decision.
Twitter’s legal representatives refuted this claim, insisting the fines were paid correctly and argued that further input from the prosecutor general was unwarranted.
Recently, Twitter shuttered its Brazilian office after threats of arrest loomed over its representative for not adhering to court orders.
The company has labeled the legal measures as ‘censorship’ and argued they contravene Brazilian law.
Musk and the company have accused the judge of political bias, citing his previous orders to block accounts disseminating misinformation, primarily linked to supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro.
This decision also imposed severe penalties on Brazilians attempting to evade the ban. Those using a VPN (virtual private network) to access Twitter faced daily fines approaching US $9,000, exceeding the annual income for many citizens.