In a recent court ruling in Brazil, Judge Alexandre de Moraes lifted the freeze on Starlink’s assets and operations after the full payment of the fine. The court seized approximately $3.3 million from Starlink and X due to violations, including failure to comply with court orders and removing legal representatives from Brazil.
Elon Musk, the CEO of X and SpaceX, criticized the court’s actions as illegal and threatened retaliation against Brazilian state assets. Despite warnings of fines for using VPNs to access X, many Brazilians, including political parties, continue to use the platform.
The conflict between Musk and Brazilian authorities began when X refused to delete accounts supporting former President Jair Bolsonaro, citing violations of Brazilian laws. In response, the court frozen assets and operations, leading to a legal battle between X and the Brazilian government.
As the dispute continues, X’s Global Government Affairs team remains defiant, stating they will not comply with illegal orders in secret. The ongoing feud between Musk and Brazilian authorities highlights the challenges faced by tech companies operating in complex regulatory environments.