Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes lifted the freeze on the bank accounts of the social media platform X and satellite Internet provider Starlink.
This decision comes after the payment of over $3 million in fines owed by the companies. The unblocking marks the resolution of a financial dispute between the companies and the Brazilian government.
X remains suspended in Brazil despite the payment of imposed fines
On September 13, Brazil’s Supreme Court announced it had recovered 7.2 million Brazilian reais ($1.3 million) from X and 11 million reais ($1.9 million) from Starlink to settle the fines imposed on the companies.
The court, led by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, had previously frozen the accounts after X’s owner, Elon Musk, refused to comply with court orders to remove accounts spreading misinformation on the platform. Additionally, X did not appoint a legal representative in Brazil, which violates local law.
This led Judge Moraes to order the “immediate, complete, and total suspension of X’s operations” in the country, cutting off access to around 40 million Brazilian users. Those found using the platform through encrypted connections were threatened with fines of up to 50,000 reais ($9,000) per day.
Musk, known for his outspoken views, reacted to the court’s actions by calling De Moraes “an evil dictator” for shutting down what he described as “the number one source of truth in Brazil.”
After the fines were fully paid, De Moraes ruled that it was no longer necessary to freeze the companies’ financial assets and ordered the immediate unfreezing of their bank accounts. The sanctions were part of the Brazilian government’s ongoing efforts to enforce its regulations on tech companies.
The situation remains tense. Musk’s companies are no longer subject to financial freezes, but the ban on X’s operations in Brazil remains in place.
Is Elon Musk’s Vision of “Freedom of Speech” Impeccable?
Elon Musk has made headlines for his outspoken criticism of liberal governments that impose restrictions on the spread of misinformation on X. However, Musk’s stance on this issue appears less consistent when examined in his interactions with right-wing governments.
In 2023, Musk’s leadership of X led to a notable contradiction in his approach to free speech. The platform complied with a request from India’s Hindu nationalist Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to block access to a BBC documentary investigating Modi’s role in a 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom.
Musk defended the decision by explaining that strict regulations in India required X to comply with local laws, even if that meant restricting access to the documentary. Hence, the compliance.
This selective application of free speech raises important questions about Musk’s principles, as he openly advocates for unrestricted free speech in some contexts while being willing to comply with strict censorship laws in countries like India.
By: Nestor Castillo, ForAllTechNews Director