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Brazil’s telecommunications watchdog, Anatel, has threatened to impose sanctions on Musk’s satellite broadband company, Starlink.
This latest development follows closely on the heels of Brazil’s Supreme Court upholding a controversial decision to ban the social media platform X in the country on Monday.
The Brazilian Supreme Court cited the platform’s failure to appoint a local legal rep for the case and its role in spreading misinformation and hate speech as key reasons for the ban. This decision did not sit well with Musk, who has criticized the court’s actions as an attack on free speech.
Starlink, however, has become embroiled in this controversy by refusing to comply with a court order to block access to X within Brazil. The telecom regulator, Anatel, warned that noncompliance could lead to severe penalties, including the revocation of Starlink’s operating license in the country. Artur Coimbra, a commissioner with Anatel, confirmed to Reuters that Starlink is the only telecom operator resisting the court’s order, and emphasized the regulator is taking action to scrutinize all telecom operators in Brazil to ensure they shut down X in the country.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has also expressed strong support for the Supreme Court’s decision, framing it as a necessary step to uphold democratic principles and counter Musk’s perceived far-right ideology.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk took to X to respond to the latest developments, suggesting that he would seek the seizure of Brazilian government assets in the United States as a countermeasure. Musk conditioned this action on Brazil returning all X and SpaceX assets that have been frozen by its government.
This standoff not only highlights the tension between Musk’s business interests and Brazilian authorities but also raises questions about the influence and accountability of global tech giants operating in sovereign nations.
