Starlink has reported that its accounts have been frozen in Brazil amid an escalating conflict between Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and Elon Musk over his social media platform, X. Starlink, which is owned by Musk's SpaceX, claims the freeze is tied to fines imposed on X, despite the company’s lack of direct involvement.
“This order is based on an unfounded determination that Starlink should be responsible for the fines levied—unconstitutionally—against X,” Starlink said in a statement on X. The company added that the order was issued without due process, in violation of Brazil’s Constitution, and vowed to challenge it legally.
Musk has publicly lashed out at de Moraes, calling him “an outright criminal of the worst kind, masquerading as a judge” in response to reports of the freeze. The feud escalated earlier in the week when de Moraes threatened to shut down X nationwide if Musk failed to comply with his orders.
Brazil is a significant market for both X and Starlink, with approximately 40 million Brazilians using X at least once a month, and Starlink serving about 250,000 customers in the country. Tensions heightened when X removed its legal representative from Brazil after de Moraes allegedly threatened her with arrest. Foreign companies are required to have local legal representation to operate in Brazil, and de Moraes gave X 24 hours to appoint a new representative or face shutdown.
X, in a statement issued Thursday, said it anticipates the platform will soon be shut down in Brazil, emphasizing that it will not secretly comply with what it calls “illegal orders.” The company reaffirmed its commitment to protecting free speech globally.
This is not the first time a Brazilian justice has clashed with a social media platform. Between 2015 and 2016, WhatsApp was shut down multiple times for not complying with police data requests, and in 2022, de Moraes threatened Telegram with a nationwide ban before the platform complied with legal demands.
Should de Moraes proceed with his threat to block X, Brazil’s telecommunications regulator, Anatel, would be tasked with instructing internet service providers, including Musk's Starlink, to suspend access to the platform. The process could take effect within 12 hours, according to legal experts, with app stores also likely being asked to remove X from availability in the country.
In a Thursday statement, X accused de Moraes' fellow justices of being “either unwilling or unable to stand up to him.”
