The dispute between Brazil and billionaire Elon Musk’s business empire with its news platform X and the satellite network Starlink is coming to a head. Telecom regulator Anatel threatened Starlink with sanctions on Monday after the company refused to implement the Supreme Court’s decision to ban Twitter’s successor X in Brazil. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told CNN Brasil that the judiciary had sent an important signal “that the world is not obliged to tolerate Elon Musk’s right-wing extremist ideology just because he is rich.”
X was shut down for most Brazilians on Saturday. Anyone who tries to circumvent the ban using technical means such as VPN connections can expect a fine of 50,000 reals (about 8,000 euros) per day. According to the information, Brazil is the sixth largest market for X worldwide, with 21.5 million users.
X has not paid fines
Chief Justice Alexandre de Moraes had ordered X to block the accounts of certain users who spread lies and misleading information. Many of these users are supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and do not recognize his defeat in the 2022 election. Musk has refused to block the accounts and has spoken of censorship.
Last week, Moraes ordered the freezing of Starlink’s accounts after X failed to pay fines imposed on it for failing to comply with court orders. In addition, according to the Anatel authority, Starlink is the only company refusing to comply with the court order to block domestic access to X. Sources close to Anatel said the sanctions against Starlink could also include the withdrawal of the license for Brazil. Moraes also accused X of not appointing a local legal representative, contrary to regulations, and ignoring a deadline for compliance.
The dispute between Brazil and billionaire Elon Musk’s business empire with its news platform X and the satellite network Starlink is coming to a head. Telecom regulator Anatel threatened Starlink with sanctions on Monday after the company refused to implement the Supreme Court’s decision to ban Twitter’s successor X in Brazil. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told CNN Brasil that the judiciary had sent an important signal “that the world is not obliged to tolerate Elon Musk’s right-wing extremist ideology just because he is rich.”
