Brazil has heightened its conflict with Elon Musk’s business interests as its telecommunications regulator, Anatel, threatened sanctions against Starlink, Musk’s satellite broadband company.
The escalation follows a Supreme Court decision to uphold a suspension of X, Musk’s social media platform, due to its alleged role in spreading misinformation and hate speech concerning Brazil’s electronic voting system.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has backed the court’s decision, framing it as a necessary stance against Musk’s perceived influence and ideological extremism. In retaliation, Musk has indicated plans to pursue reciprocal measures against Brazilian assets, though specifics remain unclear. Starlink’s defiance of a court order to block access to X has drawn sharp criticism from Brazilian authorities.
Anatel has announced it is reviewing compliance among all Brazilian telecom operators, highlighting that Starlink is the only company that has refused to implement the court’s order to restrict X. Anatel commissioner Artur Coimbra has warned that the sanctions could include the revocation of Starlink’s operating license in Brazil.
The legal turmoil began when Judge Alexandre de Moraes froze Starlink’s accounts, aiming to secure fines imposed on X for non-compliance with court directives. Moraes had previously ordered X’s suspension for failing to adhere to local legal requirements, leading to its widespread inaccessibility in Brazil. Despite this, some users have bypassed the suspension using VPNs, prompting further threats of fines from Moraes.
As Brazil’s sixth-largest market for X, with around 21.5 million users, the platform remains largely blocked, and the dispute continues to fuel debates over regulatory authority and free speech.
(Inputs from Reuters)
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