X working again in Brazil as Elon Musk finds way around ban

Some X users in Brazil have said they can once again access the social media website, the BBC has learned.

This comes after the platform, formerly known as Twitter, was banned in the country on 30 August.

The change was made possible after the company, which is owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk, moved their service to servers hosted by Cloudflare, according to ABRINT, the country's leading trade group for Internet Service Providers (ISP).

The change makes it much harder to block applications on phones, the trade group said.

X and Brazil’s telecom agency Anatel have not responded to requests for comment.

ABRINT said on Wednesday that the new system used dynamic internet protocols (IPs) that changed constantly. By contrast, the previous system had relied on specific IPs that could be more easily be blocked.

Basílio Rodriguez Pérez, ABRINT advisor, said those dynamic IPs could also be linked to critical services within Brazil.

"Many of these IPs are shared with other legitimate services, such as banks and large internet platforms, making it impossible to block an IP without affecting other services."

That includes PIX, which millions of Brazilians depend on to make digital payments.

Mr Pérez said he was certain that X made the change on Wednesday to get around the nation’s ban on the platform.

“There is no doubt that this could have happened by chance or unintentionally,” Mr Pérez said.

Some experts say Cloudflare is well-positioned to help Brazil reinforce the ban.

“Actually, I think the ban would be even more effective if Cloudflare really cooperates with the government,” said Felip Autran, a constitutional lawyer in Brasilia, the country’s capital.

“I think they will, since they are such a huge provider for many Brazilian enterprises and also the government.”

Cloudflare declined to comment when contacted by the BBC.

The platform was banned in the country last month after failing to meet a court deadline to appoint a new legal representative in the country.

It marked the most significant development in a feud between Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and Mr Musk that began in April, when the judge ordered the suspension of dozens of X accounts for allegedly spreading disinformation.

In his August ruling, Justice Moraes gave companies, including Apple and Google, a five-day deadline to remove X from its app stores and block its use on iOS and Android devices.

He added that individuals or businesses that are found to still be accessing X by using virtual private networks (VPNs) could be fined.

It's unclear what response the country might have to the platform finding a way around the ban.

Brazil is said to be one of the largest markets for Mr Musk's social media network.

Source: BBC