After the country’s Supreme Court ordered internet service providers to block access to X, the platform was largely unavailable in Brazil by Sunday night. The only ways to access X since then have been through VPNs (for those willing to risk huge fines) and Starlink, the satellite internet service owned by Elon Musk. The president of Brazil’s telecom agency stated that Starlink refused to comply with the court order until officials released its frozen assets. The Supreme Court justice, Alexandre de Moraes, who has been targeting X for disseminating hate speech and disinformation, also blocked the local bank accounts of Starlink, a SpaceX subsidiary. Musk argued that the account freeze was illegal and claimed that SpaceX and X are separate entities. Despite having around 250,000 customers in Brazil, Starlink faces the possibility of having its license revoked if it continues to support X. Officials could also seize equipment from 23 ground stations if Starlink persists. A Supreme Court panel upheld the ban on X, issued by Moraes after Musk defied his orders, and also approved fines for anyone using a VPN to access X in Brazil. X will have the right to appeal the decision.
