Brazil top court lifts Starlink, X bank account freeze after $3 mln transfer

14/9/2024 5:47

        Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes decided to lift freezes previously imposed on Starlink and X bank accounts after ordering the
        transfer of 18.35 million reais ($3.3 million) from the accounts to the national coffers.
        
        According to a court statement on Friday, the lift was ordered because the amount transferred to Brazil reached the total X owed the country in fines, which had been imposed amid a feud between billionaire owner Elon Musk and Moraes.
        
        The judge has ordered access to the X social media platform blocked in Brazil, its sixth-biggest market, after X failed to comply with orders to block some accounts accused of spreading "fake news" and hate messages that the judge said were a threat to democracy. Musk, in turn, has challenged those orders,
        calling them "censorship."
        
        X also failed to name a local legal representative as required by Brazilian law and ignored a deadline for compliance with court orders, which led Moraes to order the freezing of Starlink's accounts in the country for possible use to cover fines owed by X.