Key Points
- Brazil’s top court upheld a ban on social network X for spreading hate speech and misinformation.
- Brazil’s telecom regulator Anatel is considering sanctions against Starlink, including revoking its license, for refusing to comply with the ban.
- Judge Moraes froze Starlink’s accounts as potential payment for X’s fines.
- Starlink is the only provider defying the order to block X, risking further regulatory action.
Tensions between Brazil and Elon Musk’s business empire intensified as Brazil’s telecommunications regulator threatened to sanction Starlink, Musk’s satellite broadband company, just hours after the country’s top court upheld a controversial decision to ban social network X (formerly Twitter) from Brazil. The conflict arises from allegations that X allowed the spread of hate speech and misinformation regarding Brazil’s electronic voting system, which the government says undermines the country’s democracy.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva publicly supported Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes’ decision to suspend X, praising it as a stand against Musk’s influence. “The Brazilian judiciary may have given an important signal that the world is not obliged to put up with Musk’s far-right ideology just because he is rich,” Lula said in an interview with CNN Brasil.
The dispute escalated when Judge Moraes froze Starlink’s accounts, suggesting they could be used to pay fines X owes for not complying with judicial orders. In response, Musk hinted at seeking a reciprocal seizure of Brazilian assets, though he did not elaborate on the specifics.
Starlink found itself in further trouble on Monday when it refused to comply with Moraes’ order for all internet providers to block domestic access to X. Artur Coimbra, a commissioner at Brazil’s telecommunications regulator Anatel, stated that the agency is reviewing all telecom operators to ensure compliance with the order. Starlink, however, has been the only provider to defy the directive, prompting Anatel to consider sanctions, including the potential revocation of Starlink’s operating license in Brazil.
Anatel confirmed that Starlink had communicated its refusal to remove X from its service, citing the freeze on its Brazilian bank accounts as the reason for non-compliance. The standoff adds to the ongoing struggle between Brazil’s judiciary and Musk’s business ventures, highlighting the broader tensions between corporate influence and governmental regulation. Starlink has not immediately responded to requests for comment on the matter.
