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Starlink reverses stance, begins blocking X in Brazil

The platform was suspended by a decision of the Supreme Court
Sara Barreto*
Published on 05/09/2024 - 09:44
Agência Brasil - Brasília
Imagem da conta no Twitter de Elon Musk com nova logo
24/07/2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic
© REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Proibida reprodução

The American satellite internet company Starlink has announced that it will comply with the order to block the social network X in Brazil, as determined by the Supreme Court. Starlink also belongs to Elon Musk, owner of the former Twitter, who has been fighting against the Brazilian courts.

On Sunday (Sep. 1), the company initially refused to comply with the blocking order. However, by Tuesday (3), it reversed its stance, according to a public statement. The company emphasized that it will follow the order, despite the freezing of its assets and what it described as "illegal treatment."

The company also revealed that it has initiated legal action in the US Supreme Court, challenging the Brazilian Federal Court's order. The legal proceedings argue that the order—which froze the company's assets and blocked financial transactions—was issued unlawfully.

In Brazil, Starlink was impacted by rulings from Justice Alexandre de Moraes, as it is part of the same corporate group that controls the social network X. Since X lacks a commercial representation in the country, Moraes ordered the freezing of Starlink's accounts to ensure the payment of fines imposed for failing to comply with prior court orders.

*Intern under the supervision of Paula de Castro