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Brazilian Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes has blocked the financial accounts of Elon Musk’s Starlink amid a growing conflict that threatens to shut down Musk’s social media platform X in the country.
The decision, linked to the lack of legal representation for X in Brazil, prevents Starlink from conducting financial transactions in the country. Musk reacted by calling de Moraes “a criminal of the worst kind.” Starlink criticized the order as issued “in secret” and without due process.
The dispute centers on whether de Moraes can mandate X to block accounts accused of spreading misinformation, which Musk views as censorship. De Moraes also ordered Musk to appoint a legal representative for X in Brazil within 24 hours or face suspension of the platform.
X had earlier announced plans to close its operations in Brazil due to what it described as “censorship orders” from de Moraes, though the service remains available to users. De Moraes, who has led efforts to combat misinformation in Brazil, has previously suspended over 100 X accounts, many linked to supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who lost the 2022 election following claims about voting machine fraud.
Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes https://t.co/eqbowALCeu
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 30, 2024
In April, de Moraes accused Musk of disrespecting Brazil’s sovereignty and running a “disinformation campaign” after Musk stopped complying with court orders to block certain accounts. Musk, a self-proclaimed free speech advocate, has accused de Moraes of suppressing free speech and violating Brazil’s constitution.
This is insane. https://t.co/Fe48cdpqmq
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) August 30, 2024
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