Brazil Supreme Court Lifts Freeze on Starlink and X Accounts after $3.3M Fine Paid; Access Remains Blocked

The Supreme Court of Brazil, under Justice Alexandre de Moraes, has recently lifted the freeze on the account of Starlink.

This decision follows the transfer of the required sum of approximately USD 3.3 million, from these accounts to the national treasury. This amount corresponds to the value of the penalties that X was required to remit to Brazil, following a dispute with Elon Musk, the billionaire owner.

Previously, due to non-compliance with court orders to block specific accounts promulgating 'fake news' and hate content, X's social media platform was blocked in Brazil, the country ranking sixth in terms of its user base. These accounts, according to the judge, were undermining democracy. Musk responded to these orders, criticising them as 'censorship.'

Furthermore, X did not appoint a local legal representative as stipulated by Brazilian laws, nor did they comply with court orders within the given deadline. This led to Justice Moraes freezing Starlink's accounts for potential utilisation in paying off X's fines.

Despite the recent lift in account freezes, X's access in Brazil remains blocked. The Supreme Court maintains that the issues surrounding legal representation and the fulfilment of ordered content removals still persist.

- CyberBeat