Starlink blocks X in Brazil after legal notice

Starlink has blocked X (formerly Twitter) in Brazil after the country's Supreme Court froze its bank accounts in the country, the satellite internet service announced in a post on Sept. 4. This is the latest development in the public feud between the Supreme Court and Elon Musk, who owns both companies. According to the post, Starlink is complying with the order while it pursues legal action.

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The Brazilian Supreme Court had also banned X on August 31 after the platform failed to appoint legal representatives in the country. The court also imposed a daily fine of 50,000 Brazilian reals (hereinafter BRL) ($8,900) for people accessing the platform through a VPN.

Last week, Brazil's Supreme Court ordered the blocking of Starlink's bank accounts after holding the company liable for the fines imposed on X. The social media platform has run into trouble with Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes after Musk refused to block accounts accused of spreading misinformation.

The company accused the judge of issuing a secret order threatening X's legal representative in Brazil with arrest and daily fines of BRL 20,000 (US$3,653). The platform closed its offices in the country shortly after.

Moraes is leading a crusade against online disinformation and “anti-democratic content.” As a Supreme Court judge, he issued orders to various social media platforms, including X, demanding that they block numerous accounts accused of spreading fake news and hate speech. In April 2024, Moraes had asked the platform to block some accounts over allegations of disinformation. While X initially complied with the order, CEO Elon Musk later reversed his stance and unblocked the accounts. He also called Moraes a “dictator” and accused him of breaking Brazilian laws. The judge had also personally initiated criminal proceedings against Musk.

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