Elon Musk's Starlink Defies Brazilian Court Order, Refuses to Block X in Country

Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, Starlink, has openly defied a Brazilian court order to block access to the social media platform X in the country, further escalating the ongoing dispute between the billionaire and Brazilian authorities.

The New York Times reports that the battle between Elon Musk and the Brazilian government has reached new heights as Starlink, the satellite internet service controlled by Musk through SpaceX, informed Brazil’s telecom agency, Anatel, that it would not comply with orders to block access to the social media platform X. This defiance comes amidst a series of court orders and fines aimed at curbing what Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes perceives as the spread of disinformation and hate speech on the platform.

Starlink’s refusal to block X is the latest development in a months-long dispute between Musk and Justice Moraes. The judge has been leading a censorship campaign to clean up the Brazilian internet by ordering social networks to suspend accounts he believes are spreading disinformation, hate speech, or threats to democracy. Many of these orders have targeted prominent right-wing figures, making Justice Moraes a top enemy of former President Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters.