PHOTO: SAUL LOEB / AFP
The social media platform X restored its service in Brazil deliberately, in violation of a suspension order, rather than inadvertently as it claims, the government said Thursday.
Telecommunications agency Anatel said Elon Musk's company acted with "deliberate intention" to skirt a Supreme Court order shutting down the service in Brazil as part of a legal showdown with the outspoken billionaire.
X, which used to be called Twitter, on Wednesday had said the return of its service was "inadvertent and temporary."
Some users still had access to X on Thursday, AFP observed, despite an order on August 30 from a Supreme Court judge suspending the service.
That judge, Alexandre de Moraes, accused X of ignoring a string of orders from him to shut down user accounts accused of spreading disinformation.
Anatel said Thursday it had "identified a mechanism which, we hope" will block the service again.
Brazil's shutdown of X infuriated Musk and has fueled a fierce debate on freedom of expression and the limits of social networks, both inside and outside the country.
The social media platform has more than 22 million users in Brazil.
The hashtag "Twitter is back" was one of the most used in the country on Wednesday.
