(Bloomberg) -- Elon Musk’s X told Brazil’s Supreme Court that it had appointed two attorneys to represent it in the country, nearly three weeks after a top judge ordered internet providers to block access to the social media platform in Latin America’s largest nation.
X informed Judge Alexandre de Moraes that it had named the legal representatives on Wednesday, according to a court document. But Moraes, who barred access to the platform after its billionaire owner refused to remove certain accounts and appoint legal representation, said in response that the company had failed to prove the attorneys are working on its behalf, and gave it 24 hours to provide such evidence.
The appointment of legal representation could move X closer to restoration in Brazil, where Moraes and Musk have spent months battling over court-imposed restrictions.
X didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
In April, Musk pledged to defy orders from Moraes, who is spearheading a judicial campaign against hate speech and fake news, to suspend certain accounts in the country. The billionaire accused the judge of censorship, while Moraes opened a criminal inquiry into Musk and accused him of spreading disinformation.
Earlier Thursday, Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported that X had begun to comply with Moraes’s orders to remove some accounts. A spokesperson for the Supreme Court declined to confirm the report.
The platform formerly known as Twitter abruptly began working again for Brazilian users this week after an automatic update switched the way it directs traffic, the country’s association of internet providers said Wednesday.
Moraes ordered X to restore a block on its site Thursday or face daily fines of 5 million reais ($924,000) per day, accusing it of attempting to “disobey” the court. A spokesperson for X said late Wednesday that a change to its network provider following the ban had caused an “inadvertent and temporary service restoration to Brazilian users.”
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