SpaceX's Starlink faces account freeze in Brazil by order of 'tyrant' judge

In an escalating dispute between Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and Elon Musk, SpaceX's Starlink subsidiary has reported that its bank accounts in Brazil have been frozen.

The conflict centers on Musk's social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, and its alleged refusal to block right-leaning accounts as ordered by the court, Euronews reports.

Starlink, in a statement posted on X, called the order "unfounded" and based on "unconstitutional" fines levied against X. The company stated, "It was issued in secret and without affording Starlink any of the due process of law guaranteed by the Constitution of Brazil. We intend to address the matter legally."

Brazil represents a significant market for both X and Starlink. Approximately 40 million Brazilians use X monthly, while Starlink serves about 250,000 customers in the country.

X has stated it expects its service to be shut down in Brazil soon, asserting, "Unlike other social media and technology platforms, we will not comply in secret with illegal orders."

If implemented, the shutdown would require Brazil's telecommunications regulator to instruct operators, including Starlink, to suspend access to X's services. This could potentially occur within 12 hours of receiving instructions.