Elon Musk’s satellite internet provider, Starlink, has agreed to block its social media site X in Brazil, a shift in the dispute between the American billionaire and the Supreme Court of the largest nation in Latin America.
A Starlink had previously stated that it would not comply with the ban on X in Brazil, calling the order from Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes “illegal.”
On Friday (31), Moraes ordered regulators to prohibit access to the social media platform in Brazil after X refused to meet a deadline to appoint a legal representative in the country, a requirement of the country’s civil code.
Musk had previously closed X’s office in Brazil amid another dispute with Moraes over court orders to remove accounts apparently linked to individuals and far-right groups.
Moraes also froze Starlink’s bank accounts in Brazil last week, accusing it of being part of an “economic unit” with X.
Starlink is a subsidiary of SpaceX, in which Musk owns about 40% of the shares but controls 79% of the voting rights.
The court stated that the decision to freeze Starlink’s accounts was an attempt to collect fines imposed on X for not complying with court orders.
After refusing to comply with the request to block access to X, Starlink faced the possibility of losing its license to operate in Brazil.
However, on Tuesday night, the satellite internet provider decided to comply with the orders.
With over 225,000 users in Brazil, Starlink is not among the largest internet providers in the country, but it is considered a vital tool for communities in remote areas such as the Amazon and the agricultural heartland of the country.
Starlink is the largest and most successful company of its kind. It operates over 6,000 low-orbit satellites that transmit internet connectivity to small antennas, allowing web access for previously hard-to-reach communities, as well as airplanes and ships. The satellites are launched by SpaceX’s reusable rockets.
Reactions
In Brazil, the ban on X has divided people along political lines. The right has called Moraes an “autocrat” who is jeopardizing the country’s freedoms, while left-wing figures, including President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, have supported the ban as an important way to reaffirm Brazilian sovereignty. He stated that the world is not obliged to tolerate the billionaire Elon Musk’s “anything goes far-right agenda” because of his immense wealth.
“The Brazilian Justice may have sent an important signal that the world is not obliged to tolerate Musk’s far-right, who says anything goes, just because he is rich,” said the president.
Sources: Financial Times and CNN