Brazilian Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes has ordered the financial accounts of Elon Musk’s Starlink to be blocked amid a feud that is threatening the existence of Musk’s social media platform X in Brazil. Starlink confirmed receipt of the order, preventing financial transactions in the country, and vowed to challenge it legally.
The decision to sanction Starlink, the satellite broadband unit of Musk’s SpaceX, was made due to the absence of legal representatives in Brazil for X, according to a Supreme Court source. Musk retaliated, calling de Moraes a criminal and accusing him of censorship for trying to block certain accounts on the social network.
De Moraes had previously ordered Musk to appoint a legal representative for X in Brazil within 24 hours or face suspension of the platform in the country. X had previously announced the closure of operations in Brazil due to alleged censorship orders from de Moraes.
The ongoing feud stems from de Moraes’ crackdown on misinformation and disinformation, leading to the suspension of over 100 X accounts, some belonging to supporters of former President Bolsonaro. Musk, a vocal advocate for free speech, has accused de Moraes of stifling freedom of speech and violating the Brazilian constitution.
The back-and-forth between Musk and de Moraes highlights the challenges social media platforms face in navigating government regulations around content moderation and freedom of speech. The outcome of this dispute could impact the future of X and how tech companies operate in Brazil.
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