(Cupventi.com) – In a significant development in the ongoing conflict between Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and Elon Musk, a Brazilian Supreme Court justice has ordered the immediate suspension of the social media platform X in Brazil. This decision comes after the platform, owned by Musk, failed to comply with a court-imposed deadline to appoint a legal representative in the country.
The dispute, which has escalated over time, also led to the freezing of the financial accounts of Starlink, Musk’s satellite internet provider, in Brazil. In his ruling, Justice Moraes mandated the full suspension of X until all court orders are fulfilled. These orders include the payment of fines totaling 18.5 million reais ($3.28 million) and the appointment of a legal representative within Brazil. The Brazilian telecommunications regulator, Anatel, has been instructed to enforce the suspension and report back to the court within 24 hours.
To prevent users from bypassing the suspension using virtual private networks (VPNs), Moraes stated that individuals or companies attempting to access the platform through VPNs could face fines of up to 50,000 reais per day. The platform, formerly known as Twitter, anticipated this move as X acknowledged on Thursday that it expected the suspension order following the missed deadline.
This clash between Moraes and Musk has been ongoing throughout the year. Earlier, Moraes ordered the blocking of certain accounts on X that were linked to investigations into digital militias accused of spreading misinformation and hate speech. Musk criticized these actions as censorship, leading to the closure of X’s offices in Brazil. However, despite these tensions, X maintained that its services would remain available in Brazil.
Adding to the strain, Brazil’s Supreme Court also froze the local bank accounts of Starlink, in which Musk holds a 40% stake. In response, Starlink appealed to the court to lift the freeze on its accounts, marking another chapter in the contentious relationship between Musk and Brazil’s judiciary.