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Elon Musk’s Starlink has announced that it will block access to X in Brazil after a tense standoff between the satellite internet provider and the Brazilian government.
This marks a change from Starlink’s earlier stance when it had unofficially informed Brazil’s telecommunications regulatory body Anatel that it would not follow the order unless Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes rescinded it.
Anatel followed up by threatening to withdraw Starlink’s operating license in Brazil if it failed to comply with the order from the Supreme Court justice.
In a social media post, Starlink explained this new decision is to ensure continued access to Starlink’s satellite internet in Brazil, which is estimated to have 250,000 users. The company expressed its commitment to explore all legal roadmaps to prove that the court order is against the Brazilian constitution.
X Users in Brazil Explore Alternatives
While X is estimated to have about 40 million users in the South American nation, a lengthy ban in the country could see a significant drop in this number.
Bluesky, a rising competitor to X, has capitalized on the situation, attracting over 1 million new users within three days. While Bluesky did not say the location of this new one million subscribers, the fact that this number happened in three days, and within the time X is facing a blockade in Brazil underscores the challenges X faces in retaining its user base amid mounting regulatory pressures and competition.
Meanwhile, this Brazil, X, Starlink situation has ignited a debate over the responsibilities of internet service providers in managing online content. A section of the public warns that this could set a troubling precedent for government intervention in digital spaces, while some argue that it is a necessary measure to address the spread of harmful content on social media.
