A Brazilian Supreme Court justice has ordered the full and immediate suspension of social media platform X in the country following a court-imposed deadline for the company to identify a legal representative in Brazil. The decision stemmed from an ongoing feud between Justice Alexandre de Moraes and Elon Musk, which also saw the freezing of financial accounts belonging to Musk’s satellite internet provider, Starlink, in Brazil.
De Moraes’ ruling requires X to comply with all related court orders, including the payment of fines totaling 18.5 million reais ($3.28 million) and the nomination of a legal representative in Brazil. He also directed the telecommunications regulator to enforce the suspension, threatening fines for individuals or companies attempting to circumvent the ban using virtual private networks.
X had expressed anticipation of a shutdown after failing to meet the court’s requirements, and earlier this year, de Moraes had ordered the platform to block certain accounts linked to the spread of manipulated news and hate. Musk, labeling the order as censorship, responded by shutting down X’s offices in Brazil, though services remained accessible in the country.
In addition to the X dispute, Brazil’s Supreme Court also froze the bank accounts of Starlink, prompting the company to file a request to suspend the decision. As tensions escalate between Musk, his tech ventures, and Brazilian authorities, the future of X and Starlink’s operations in the country remains in question.
Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com