Brazil Bans Elon Musk's X, Fines VPN Users, Freezes Starlink Assets

Sep 4, 2024, 03:01 PM

Brazil has banned the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, following a unanimous ruling by the country's Supreme Court. The ban, which was upheld due to the platform's alleged role in promoting misinformation and noncompliance with court rulings, has led to significant tensions between Elon Musk's business empire and the Brazilian government. Despite the ban, Musk has enabled access to X via his satellite internet service, Starlink, which has resulted in the freezing of Starlink's assets by Brazilian authorities. The ban has sparked a political debate, with some Brazilian senators calling for the impeachment of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who issued the ban. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva supports the ban, arguing that the world should not have to tolerate Musk's 'far-right free-for-all' ideology. The situation has also drawn criticism from U.S. politicians and commentators who view the ban as a threat to free speech. Additionally, Brazilians using VPNs to access X face fines of up to $12,000 CAD per day. Starlink has around 250,000 customers in Brazil. The ban is seen as an economic setback for Musk.