Brazilian Supreme Court Suspends X Amid Tensions with Elon Musk’s Companies

• X suspended in Brazil as it fails to appoint a legal representative, facing $3.28 million in fines.
• Brazil’s Supreme Court orders VPN fines of $8,900 daily for users attempting to bypass X’s suspension.
• Starlink’s bank accounts frozen amid ongoing legal battle between Elon Musk’s companies and Brazil’s Supreme Court.

Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered the full suspension of social media platform X following a missed court deadline. Justice Alexandre de Moraes made the decision on Friday, demanding X halt operations in the country until certain legal requirements are met. 

This ruling comes after X, formerly Twitter, failed to identify a legal representative in Brazil by the court-imposed deadline. The platform must comply with several court orders before it can resume, including paying fines totaling 18.5 million reais ($3.28 million).

Supreme Court Escalates Dispute with X

This ruling is the latest development in a long-standing dispute between Justice de Moraes and X’s owner, Elon Musk. The feud has escalated over recent months, with the Supreme Court previously ordering X to block specific accounts linked to investigations into digital militias. 

These militias are accused of spreading misinformation and hate speech. Musk, criticizing these actions as censorship, responded by shutting down X’s offices in Brazil earlier this year, although the platform remained operational. Notably, de Moraes’ recent decision also threatens heavy fines for anyone trying to access X through virtual private networks (VPNs), imposing a daily penalty of 50,000 reais ($8,900).

Starlink Accounts Frozen Amid Legal Battle

In addition to the suspension of X, the Supreme Court also froze the bank accounts of Starlink, a satellite internet provider partially owned by Musk. This financial action is part of broader efforts to pressure Musk’s companies into compliance. 

Starlink, which operates satellite internet services in Brazil, requested the court on Friday to lift the financial freeze, but a decision is pending. The blocking of Starlink’s accounts shows the depth of the legal conflict between Musk and Brazilian authorities, further complicating the situation for both X and Starlink in Brazil.

Fines, Compliance, and Immediate Action Required

De Moraes has directed Brazil’s telecommunications regulator, Anatel, to enforce X’s suspension and verify compliance with the court within 24 hours. Additionally, until X nominates a legal representative and pays the imposed fines, it will remain suspended in the country.