Elon Musk’s satellite internet provider Starlink has changed course and said it would comply with an order from Brazil’s Supreme Court to block access to X, the billionaire’s social network, in Latin America’s largest country.
According to the agency, Starlink, whose bank accounts were frozen by court order, had informally told Anatel, the national telecommunications regulator, that it would not comply with the demand.
“Regardless of Starlink’s illegal treatment by freezing our assets, we are complying with the order to block access to X in Brazil,” the company said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Musk is in a bitter standoff with Brazil after Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes ordered X to be banned as part of his campaign against disinformation. The dispute spread to Starlink after X failed to pay fines and the judge ordered the internet provider’s accounts to be blocked in an attempt to force the billionaire to comply with previous orders.
According to the court, the list of frozen assets includes the bank accounts and financial assets of Starlink Brazil and Starlink Brazil Servicos de Internet, along with cars, real estate, boats and aircraft. Moraes also ordered the central bank to prevent the company from sending or receiving money from abroad.
Anatel has registered an increase in hacking attacks, “causing temporary system and network instability,” it said in a statement on Tuesday. Brazil’s Supreme Court and Federal Police have also reported cybernetic attacks.
