- Starlink has complied with a Brazilian court order to block access to X, following an asset freeze and legal pressure.
- Elon Musk has criticised Justice Alexandre de Moraes as tensions between global tech leaders and government regulations continue to grow.
OUR TAKE
Elon Musk’s Starlink has agreed to comply with a Brazilian Supreme Court order to block access to Musk’s social media platform, X, in Brazil. The decision came after Judge Alexandre de Moraes froze Starlink’s assets and ordered it to pay more than $3 million in fines for X’s failure to appoint a local legal representative and comply with content management laws. The court’s unanimous support for this decision highlights the strict enforcement of local internet regulations in Brazil and sets an important precedent for the interaction between global technology companies and national legal systems.
–Heidi Luo, BTW reporter
What happened
Elon Musk’s satellite-based internet service provider Starlink has agreed to comply with a Brazilian Supreme Court order to block access to Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, in Brazil. This is a U-turn for the company, which initially refused to comply.
This was after Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the freezing of Starlink’s assets to force X to pay fines of over $3 million for not following earlier court rulings.The court’s decision was down to X not appointing a local legal rep to handle notifications and comply with Brazilian laws, particularly regarding the removal of certain content and accounts.
In response, Justice de Moraes ordered the platform to be suspended, which was then backed by a Supreme Court panel. This legal action puts a lot of pressure on Starlink and X, showing that the Brazilian judiciary is serious about enforcing local internet regulations and content management.
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Why it’s important
Amidst this legal battle, Starlink’s compliance is seen as a tactical move to avoid further legal problems and keep its operations in Brazil going. The company publicly criticised the asset freeze as an illegal action but said it would respect the legal order while continuing to explore all available legal avenues to contest the ruling.
In the face of this legal pressure, Starlink’s initial resistance shifted to compliance, with the company publicly stating about X: “Notwithstanding the illegal treatment of Starlink in the freezing of our assets, we are complying with the order to block access to X in Brazil”. This public statement underlined the company’s reluctance to comply with the court’s demands.
Moreover, had Starlink continued to defy the orders, Anatel (Brazil’s telecommunications regulator) was prepared to take significant action. Arthur Coimbra, a member of Anatel’s board of directors, suggested that the regulator could eventually seize equipment from Starlink’s 23 ground stations in Brazil.
This would ensure the quality of its Internet service, which is crucial to maintaining connectivity, especially in remote areas of the country that rely heavily on Starlink’s services.
