X back online in Brazil after company's clever workaround
X has made a comeback in Brazil after being banned for over two weeks. The return of the service is not due to a change in the Brazilian government's stance toward the platform. Instead, it appears that X has started using Cloudflare's DNS service to circumvent government restrictions. However, it remains uncertain how long this workaround will be effective.
Return described as 'inadvertent and temporary'
A spokesperson for X has labeled the platform's reappearance in Brazil as "an inadvertent and temporary service restoration." The representative further stated that they anticipate the platform will soon become inaccessible again. This statement comes after Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered internet service providers (ISPs) to block X in late August, following a public disagreement with Elon Musk over his refusal to ban certain accounts.
Network provider switch led to temporary service restoration
"When X was shut down in Brazil, our infrastructure to provide service to Latin America was no longer accessible to our team," a spokesperson for X said in a statement. "To continue providing optimal service to our users, we changed network providers. This change resulted in an inadvertent and temporary service restoration to Brazilian users." The New York Times reported that many Brazilians regained access on Wednesday, although the service was still somewhat inconsistent.
Brazilian ISPs and authorities grapple with X's return
Currently, Brazilian ISPs are likely figuring out how to continue to complying with the court order. Should they fail, Brazilian authorities are likely to come up with new ways to enforce the block. Regulators in the country have imposed steep fines for users who attempt to get around the country's ban by using VPNs. This move has driven users to migrate to Bluesky, a competing social network.
