What Brazil’s ban on X means for Eagles fans — both in São Paulo and watching from home

After a long offseason, the Eagles are finally back in action on Friday against the Packers (8:15 p.m., NBC10, Peacock). But even though the Birds are technically the home team for the opener, that home is an entire continent away, in São Paulo, Brazil.

Now, just a few days from the game, there’s another curveball. In the latest twist to the never-ending drama of Elon Musk purchasing X, the social media platform was banned in Brazil last week.

Here’s what you need to know about the ban and how it will impact the Birds’ trip to Brazil:

Jeff McLane, EJ Smith, Olivia Reiner, and David Murphy are headed to Brazil to cover the game for The Inquirer, but don’t expect to see the usual live coverage on X as long as the ban on the former Twitter remains in effect.

Instead, head over to Gameday Central, where you’ll be able to get live updates before, during, and after the game from our writers, as well as a pregame show. Plus, we’ll have a live blog going throughout the day for the latest breaking news and analysis from our writers in Brazil.

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Some of our writers — like Jeff Neiburg, Marcus Hayes, and Mike Sielski — will still be in the Philadelphia area and sharing updates on X, as will our Inquirer accounts: @PhillyInquirer and @PhillySport.

The short answer is no. The only way to access X in Brazil will be with a virtual private network (VPN) service, which disguises your IP address. Fans can take a risk with a VPN and hope to evade a fine (more on that in a bit), especially if you’re a tourist and not a Brazilian citizen, but it’s probably best to stick to other social platforms during your trip.

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The social media site was officially banned in Brazil, its third-largest market, last week, following Musk’s refusal to ban accounts after a court order from Brazilian Judge Alexandre de Moraes. The users were under investigation for spreading disinformation, primarily supporting former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro.

Musk also closed the company’s Brazil office following what Musk described as attempts at censorship. Companies must have a Brazilian representative in order to operate in the country.

“Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes,” Musk said on X.

A Brazilian Supreme Court panel upheld the ban over the weekend and ordered that X will not return in the country until it complies with the court orders and pays outstanding fines of more than $3 million.

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Brazilian users can use a VPN to get around the ban, but face fines of up to $8,900 per day if they use a VPN to access the website. It’s unclear how that will be enforced and if international tourists would be subject to the same fines.

“The application of a daily fine to individuals and legal entities in a broad and generalized manner represents a serious affront to the fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution,” the Brazilian Bar Association wrote Saturday in a statement. “The imposition of fines constitutes a sanction and, therefore, must always be supported by a legal process that guarantees the individual the right to a full defense.”

Several Brazilian lawmakers took to X using a VPN after the decision to criticize the ruling.