Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has ordered the immediate suspension of social media platform X in the country until all related court orders are complied with, including the payment of fines and the nomination of a legal representative. This decision comes after a court-imposed deadline for X to identify a legal representative in Brazil expired. The ongoing feud between Justice Moraes and Elon Musk has also led to the freezing of Starlink’s financial accounts in Brazil.
In response to the suspension order, X said it expected the shutdown to happen soon after failing to meet the deadline. Justice Moraes has ordered the telecommunications regulator to implement the suspension and prevent individuals or companies from using VPNs to circumvent the blockage, with potential fines for those who try. Earlier this year, X was ordered to block certain accounts linked to digital militias spreading fake news and hate speech, leading Musk to close X’s offices in Brazil.
The dispute over X has also affected Starlink, a satellite internet provider partially owned by Musk, whose local bank accounts were blocked by the Supreme Court. Starlink has requested the court to suspend that decision, adding to the growing tensions between Musk and Brazilian authorities. It remains to be seen how this latest development will impact the operations of X and Starlink in Brazil amid the ongoing legal battles.
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