Brazil’s telecommunications regulator has issued threats of sanctions against Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink, amidst a growing public feud with the billionaire over the country’s decision to block his social media platform X. This confrontation escalated after Brazil’s supreme court ordered a nationwide suspension of X for failing to appoint a legal representative by a court-mandated deadline, in accordance with the country’s laws. The ruling was subsequently upheld by a panel of federal supreme court justices, leading Anatel, Brazil’s telecommunications regulator, to instruct internet providers to block access to X following the court order.
Artur Coimbra, a commissioner at Anatel, revealed that Starlink is the only company that has explicitly expressed its refusal to comply with the court decision. Coimbra disclosed in an interview that Anatel is currently investigating the potential noncompliance of Starlink and other network operators. He warned that there are several sanctions that could be imposed on a company for failing to adhere to the court order, including fines and the revocation of its license to operate in Brazil. Anatel and SpaceX, the parent company of Starlink, have been contacted by CNBC for a statement but have yet to respond.
This latest dispute between Musk and Brazil originated back in April when an X representative stated that the company was obligated by “court decisions to block certain popular accounts.” Musk subsequently announced that the restrictions had been lifted and advised users to use a virtual private network (VPN) to access X in the event of a ban. The conflict intensified as Brazil was gearing up for municipal elections in October, with the country’s laws mandating that social networks appoint individuals capable of receiving and evaluating government takedown notices concerning political misinformation. X failed to have such an employee in Brazil, leading to the removal of all its staff from the country last month and triggering the current legal battles.
The involvement of Starlink in this feud further exacerbates the tensions between Musk and Brazil, particularly inflaming the billionaire’s contentious relationship with Brazilian supreme court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who was behind X’s ban. Starlink revealed on X that it had received an order from Moraes freezing its finances and prohibiting the company from conducting financial transactions in the country. X accused Moraes of intimidating its legal representative with imprisonment, claiming that all of her bank accounts were frozen once she resigned. Musk has publicly criticized Moraes, labeling him an “evil tyrant” and demanding his incarceration, while also denouncing Brazil’s court ruling as an act of censorship.
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