Starlink to comply with Supreme Court orders to block X in Brazil
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Musk’s Starlink backtracks and says it will comply with the judge’s order to block X in Brazil.
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A SpaceX Falcon 9, with NASA astronauts lifts off from Pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on May 30, 2020. (AP)
SpaceX's satellite internet company, Starlink, stated it will comply with a Brazilian Supreme Court ruling to prohibit access to the X site.
Starlink, owned by Elon Musk, announced on X: "Regardless of the illegal treatment of Starlink in freezing our assets, we are complying with the order to block access to X in Brazil."
It also stated that they "continue to pursue all legal avenues, as are others" who feel that Justice Alexandre de Moraes' latest ruling breaches the Brazilian constitution.
To our customers in Brazil (who may not be able to read this as a result of X being blocked by @alexandre):
— Starlink (@Starlink) September 3, 2024
The Starlink team is doing everything possible to keep you connected.
Following last week’s order from @alexandre that froze Starlink’s finances and prevents Starlink…
Brazil's Supreme Court banned X on Friday after the platform blatantly disregarded court rulings and refused to pay fines.
The ruling comes after charges that Musk's company, X, has frequently ignored Brazilian court decisions and rules.
The court also said the social media platform has been a hub of hatred and discriminatory speech and has interfered with the country's democratic processes.
On August 28, Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered that Musk appoint a legal representative in 24 hours or Brazil would suspend X's operations in the country.
Brazil’s president rebuffs Musk’s ‘far right’ ideology
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stated in an interview for CNN Brazil published on Monday that the world is not obligated to tolerate billionaire Elon Musk’s “far-right anything goes” agenda simply due to his immense wealth.
Following the suspension of Musk’s social media platform, X, in Brazil, Lula da Silva said, “The Brazilian justice system may have given an important signal that the world is not obliged to put up with Musk’s extreme right-wing anything goes just because he is rich.”
Lula da Silva's long-standing dispute with Elon Musk over issues of free speech, far-right accounts, and misinformation in Brazil continues to escalate. Over the weekend, Brazilians, including the president, bid farewell to X, with many users posting links to their profiles on alternative social media platforms.
Brazil represents a significant market for X, which has faced challenges with losing advertisers since Musk’s acquisition and renaming of the platform last year. Approximately 40 million Brazilians, about one-fifth of the population, use X at least once a month, according to market research group Emarketer.
Musk, who claims to be a “free speech absolutist,” has consistently argued that these court actions constitute censorship. On Tuesday, Musk once again engaged in Brazilian politics by sharing a link on X to an upcoming demonstration described as a march for “freedom", which protests judicial overreach and allegedly defends free speech.
