Elon Musk's X applies again for lifting of lockdown in Brazil

Following the shutdown of the online news and social networking site X in Brazil, tech billionaire Elon Musk's company has once again applied for the ban to be lifted.

The platform has paid all outstanding fines totalling around 28.6 million reais ($4.24 million), TV Globo reported, citing the company's lawyers.

This fulfils the conditions set by federal judge Alexandre de Moraes.

X had previously applied for the block to be lifted after it appointed a legal representative for Brazil as requested and blocked the profiles of nine users under investigation by the Supreme Court.

In addition, a fine of 18.3 million reais was confiscated from the bank accounts of Musk's companies X and Starlink.

The Supreme Court rejected the company's application on the grounds of further outstanding fines. These included a payment of ten million reais, imposed because X had not respected the court-ordered shutdown for two days.

In addition, the company's appointed legal representative had to pay a fine of 300,000 reais. The fine that had already been collected had not yet been authorised for transfer, the court said.

The judge Moraes ordered the shutdown of X in the South American country at the end of August.

The news platform had previously missed a court-ordered deadline to appoint a legal representative. It also refused to block the accounts of right-wing activists who allegedly spread conspiracy narratives and false information.

Musk, a prominent supporter of Republican ex-President Donald Trump in the US election campaign, also presents himself in Brazil as a defender of free speech.

He has accused Moraes of attacking freedom of expression and labelled him an "evil dictator."

The judge opened an investigation against Musk in April for obstruction of justice and incitement to commit criminal offences.