Starlink Reverses Course, Agrees to Block X in Brazil

Musk's company had signaled it would disobey STF order

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Mateus Vargas Constança Rezende
Brasília

Elon Musk's Starlink backed down and stated this Tuesday (3) that it will block access to X, formerly Twitter, in Brazil.

The company had previously signaled that it would not comply with the order given by Minister Alexandre de Moraes of the STF (Supreme Federal Court) to block the social network, which also belongs to Musk. In the same post on X where it said it would comply with the decision, Starlink called the decision that froze its bank accounts illegal and said it would continue to legally contest the Supreme Court's orders.

(FILES) Starlink satellite antennas are seen at the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA), the international trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances, on August 31, 2023 during a preview at the fair grounds in Berlin. . (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP) - ODD ANDERSEN/AFP

In an official document signed this Tuesday, Musk's company also confirmed to Anatel (National Telecommunications Agency) that it had already blocked the URLs x.com and twitter.com, 'which can be verified by Anatel in the coming hours.' Last Friday (30), Moraes ordered the 'immediate, complete, and integral' shutdown of X, which gradually went offline in Brazil starting on the same date. In his decision, Moraes cited the platform's disobedience regarding orders to block various profiles. He also pointed out that the company was failing to comply with a court order to appoint a legal representative in Brazil. The First Panel of the STF upheld the suspension of the social network on Monday (2).

Before suspending X, the minister had already frozen Starlink's accounts under the justification of collecting fines imposed on Musk's network. The company provides satellite internet services to about 250,000 subscribers in Brazil."