Brazil judge blocks Starlink accounts as X suspension deadline looms

Brazilian Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes has moved to block the financial accounts of billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink, further escalating an ongoing dispute that threatens to lead to the removal of Musk’s social media platform, X, from Brazil.

On Thursday, Starlink confirmed that it had received an order from de Moraes preventing it from conducting financial transactions in Brazil. The company stated on X that it intends to address the order through legal channels.

De Moraes’s decision to sanction Starlink, the satellite broadband service under Musk’s SpaceX, follows concerns about the lack of legal representation for the X social network in Brazil, according to a Supreme Court source who spoke with Reuters.

Musk responded by labeling de Moraes as “an outright criminal of the worst kind, masquerading as a judge,” in reaction to the order.

Starlink claimed in its X post that de Moraes had issued the order “in secret and without granting Starlink the due process of law guaranteed by the constitution of Brazil.”

The central issue is whether de Moraes can mandate the social network to block certain accounts accused of spreading misinformation—a request Musk has criticized as censorship.

On Wednesday night, de Moraes ordered Musk to appoint a legal representative for X, formerly Twitter, in Brazil within 24 hours, or face the platform’s suspension in the country.

Earlier this month, X announced it would cease operations and lay off its staff in Latin America’s largest economy due to what it described as “censorship orders” from de Moraes, although it would continue to offer its service to Brazilian users.

At that time, X alleged that de Moraes had secretly threatened one of the company’s Brazilian legal representatives with arrest if it did not comply with orders to remove specific content.

In his ruling on X, de Moraes stated that under Brazilian internet regulations, companies failing to adhere to national laws or maintain the confidentiality of private information could face temporary suspension of their activities.

The Supreme Court shared a screenshot of Wednesday’s decision on its X account, tagging Musk’s and X’s Global Government Affairs accounts.

Crackdown

Thursday’s development is the latest in a protracted feud between Musk and de Moraes. The judge has spearheaded a crackdown on misinformation and disinformation in Brazil, resulting in the suspension of over 100 X accounts in recent years.

Some of these accounts belong to supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who lost the 2022 election to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva following allegations that Brazil’s electronic voting machines were prone to fraud.

In April, de Moraes accused Musk of orchestrating a “disinformation campaign” and undermining Brazil’s sovereignty after Musk stopped complying with court orders to block certain X accounts.

Musk, a staunch advocate for free speech, has accused de Moraes of suppressing free expression and violating Brazil’s constitution.