Elon Musk's satellite broadband company, Starlink, announced it is complying with a Brazilian Supreme Court order to block access to the social media platform X.
This development follows a tense standoff between Musk and Brazil's judiciary, as Judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered the freezing of Starlink's assets due to its potential use in paying fines owed by X, also owned by Musk.
Starlink, which serves over 200,000 customers in Brazil, had informed the country's telecom regulator, Anatel, that it would not comply with the order. However, the company reversed its decision on Tuesday, notifying Anatel that it would block access to X within hours. Anatel later confirmed that Starlink had started the process.
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The blocking of X in Brazil stems from a previous ruling by Moraes, who ordered telecom providers to shut down the platform for failing to appoint a legal representative. Brazil's Supreme Court upheld this decision, making X inaccessible for the past week. Despite the shutdown, some Brazilians are bypassing the ban by using VPNs.
In a statement on X, Starlink criticized freezing its assets as illegal but confirmed that it is following the court's order while pursuing legal action in the Brazilian Supreme Court. The company argues that Moraes' recent orders violate Brazil's constitution and is exploring further legal options.
The conflict traces back to an earlier ruling by Moraes, who demanded X block accounts involved in investigations for allegedly spreading disinformation and hate speech.
Musk condemned the order as censorship, prompting him to close X's offices in Brazil in mid-August, although the platform remained accessible until Moraes' recent shutdown order.
