- Starlink is now complying with Brazil's Supreme Court order to block access to X (formerly Twitter) within the country.
- The compliance comes after Brazil's top court froze Starlink's accounts, a move that the company is challenging as unconstitutional.
- Starlink has initiated legal proceedings in Brazil’s Supreme Court, arguing that the order to block X and freeze its assets violates Brazilian law, while exploring further legal avenues to overturn the decision.
Starlink blocks X (formerly Twitter) access in Brazil, complying with a recent order from the country’s top court. This decision comes after Starlink initially resisted the order, causing a significant legal confrontation.
Starlink blocks X amid legal dispute
On Tuesday, Starlink announced that it would adhere to the Supreme Court’s decision, which mandates the blocking of X in Brazil. This follows an earlier declaration from the company that it would not comply with the order. The company’s shift came after Brazil’s top court judge, Alexandre de Moraes, had instructed the freezing of Starlink’s accounts, potentially to cover fines imposed on X.
Starlink, which serves over 200,000 customers in Brazil, expressed its compliance in a post on X, despite criticizing the freezing of its assets. The company stated, “Regardless of the illegal treatment of Starlink in freezing of our assets, we are complying with the order to block access to X in Brazil.”
Dispute origins and legal proceedings
The conflict began earlier this year when Moraes ordered X to block certain accounts involved in spreading misinformation and hate speech. Musk criticized the order as censorship and responded by closing the company’s offices in Brazil in mid-August. However, X remained accessible until Moraes ordered a complete shutdown last week.
Starlink initially notified Brazil’s telecom regulator, Anatel, of its refusal to implement the blocking order. However, by Tuesday, the company reversed its position and began enforcing the block. Anatel confirmed that Starlink had already started to restrict access to X within hours of its updated compliance.
Starlink’s legal challenges and ongoing dispute
Starlink has filed an appeal in the Brazilian Supreme Court on the grounds that the imposed financial embargo, which includes the order for Starlink blocks on X, violates Brazilian constitutional rights. The company is trying by all means to overturn the financial restrictions it has been placed under. The company missed a deadline to appeal the asset freeze, which ended Tuesday, and it wasn’t clear what legal steps, if any, Starlink might take in response to the situation.
The dispute underscores the broader conflict between regulatory authorities in Brazil and global tech companies over content control and freedom of speech. Despite the Starlink blocks, some Brazilian users continue to access X through VPNs and other workarounds.
Related
The decision of Starlink to block access to X, following the request of the Brazilian government, highlights a significant moment in the regulatory battle involving Elon Musk’s businesses. Starlink blocks X as part of its compliance with Brazilian judicial directives, though the company remains concerned about the legality of such an order.
