X, formerly known as Twitter, has stated that it anticipates being blocked in Brazil after missing the deadline to appoint a new legal representative for the company. Earlier this month, the social media platform shut down its office in the country, citing that its previous representative had faced threats of arrest for not complying with orders that X characterized as “censorship.”
The dispute began in April when Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered the suspension of numerous X accounts for allegedly spreading disinformation. X’s owner, Elon Musk, has since threatened to reactivate the suspended accounts, labeling Justice Moraes as a “tyrant” and a “dictator.”
Meanwhile, the bank accounts of Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink, have been frozen in Brazil following an order from the country’s Supreme Court. Starlink responded on X, stating that the “order is based on an unfounded determination that Starlink should be responsible for the fines unconstitutionally levied against X.” Musk also clarified on X that “SpaceX and X are two completely separate companies with different shareholders.” Starlink is a subsidiary of Musk’s rocket company, SpaceX.
In 2022, the government under then-President Bolsonaro approved Starlink to operate in Brazil. Brazil, the largest country in South America, and its remote Amazon regions present significant opportunities for Starlink, which specializes in providing internet services to isolated areas.
Justice Moraes has gained prominence for his decisions to restrict social media platforms in Brazil. He is also investigating Bolsonaro and his supporters for their alleged involvement in an attempted coup on January 8 of the previous year.
X is not the first social media company to face pressure from Brazilian authorities. Last year, Telegram was temporarily banned for failing to comply with requests to block certain profiles. Meta’s messaging service, WhatsApp, also faced temporary bans in 2015 and 2016 for refusing to comply with police requests for user data.