Elon Musk's social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has faced a significant legal challenge in Brazil, paying $5.2 million in fines into the wrong account.

The fines were imposed after Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the shutdown of X in August for failing to comply with court orders, including addressing disinformation spread by right-wing accounts.

X, which had 22 million users in Brazil, aims to resolve the conflict by complying with court demands, including appointing a legal representative in the country.

The platform had resumed service momentarily due to a claimed technical oversight but went offline again following further threats of fines.

The dispute began during Brazil's 2022 presidential election and escalated post-election as supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro attacked federal buildings in Brasilia.

Musk's public criticism of Moraes labeled him as an authoritarian figure, though Musk has recently been more subdued.