Elon Musk’s Starlink said Tuesday it is complying with Brazil’s order to block access to X after the country’s watchdogs banned the use of the social media platform over the weekend.
“Following last week’s order from @alexandre that froze Starlink’s finances and prevents Starlink from conducting financial transactions in Brazil, we immediately initiated legal proceedings in the Brazilian Supreme Court explaining the gross illegality of this order and asking the Court to unfreeze our assets. Regardless of the illegal treatment of Starlink in freezing of our assets, we are complying with the order to block access to X in Brazil,” the satellite internet company said in a post on X.
Ban on X comes months after Brazilian authorities ordered Musk’s platform to suspend dozens of accounts for spreading misinformation, many tied to supporters of the former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro. Judge Alexandre de Moraes had ordered the company in April to block those accounts while they are under investigation.
“Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes,” Musk had said earlier. Moraes claimed the billionaire’s platform has caused division in the South American nation.
The platform has been suspended since Saturday for missing a court deadline to appoint a new legal representative as required by law. Starlink had initially notified the country’s telecom regulator, Anatel, that it would not comply with the order to ban X.
X shuttered its offices in Brazil last month, saying Moraes threatened a company representative to cave in to orders, which they claim amounts to “censorship.”
More on Starlink
- Elon Musk says Starlink Mini to launch later in 2024 at half price of terminal
- Financial information for Starlink
