Brazil unfreezes Starlink, X assets afer $3.3M transfer

Brazil’s Supreme Court unfroze the assets of Elon Musk’s satellite communications company Starlink and social media platform X after 18.35 million reais, about $3.3 million, was transferred to the government’s coffers. 

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the unblocking of Starlink and X’s bank accounts and assets after the funds had been transferred, covering X’s fines for non-compliance, according to a press release Friday. 

Some 7.28 million reais, about $1.3 million, was transferred from X, while 11.07 million reais, about $1.99 million, was transferred from Starlink on the judge's orders. 

X faced hefty fines after failing to comply with de Moraes’ orders to remove certain content from the platform and name a new legal representative. 

The social media company closed its office in Brazil and declined to name a new representative after the judge threatened to arrest its previous representative over its failure to comply with the takedown requests.  

Following X’s refusal to name a new representative, de Moraes ordered the suspension of X in Brazil. The platform has been blocked in the country of 220 million since the end of last month. 

X and Musk have framed the feud with de Moraes as a battle over free speech and censorship.  

Shortly before de Moraes’ suspension order went into effect, X’s Global Government Affairs team said it was facing a shutdown “simply because we would not comply with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents.”   

“Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purpose,” Musk, the owner of X, also wrote in a post on the platform at the time.