Access to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, was largely cut off across Brazil by Sunday night, following a Supreme Court order compelling internet service providers to block the site.
On Monday, a majority of a Supreme Court panel upheld the ban on X. The ban, a response to Musk’s refusal to remove content linked to far-right groups, has intensified a months-long public feud between the tech billionaire and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The panel also ratified de Moraes’ decree to fine anyone caught using a VPN to access X in Brazil a daily penalty of 50,000 Brazilian Real (approximately $8,900), a sum that exceeds the average annual income for most Brazilians.
The situation escalated when the president of Brazil’s telecom agency, Anatel, disclosed that Starlink had refused to comply with the court’s directive until its frozen assets were released, according to reports from The New York Times.
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De Moraes, who has been at the forefront of the campaign against X, also froze the local bank accounts of Starlink, a subsidiary of Musk’s SpaceX. De Moraes accused X of allowing the spread of hate speech and disinformation and aimed to collect $3 million in fines that X had accumulated for ignoring his orders to block certain accounts.
Despite a Supreme Court ruling upholding the ban, Brazil is witnessing a wave of defiance led by Musk, who has been fiercely critical of de Moraes. The court’s decision has done little to curb access to the social media platform, as many Brazilians have turned to alternative methods such as VPNs and Starlink, Musk’s satellite internet service, to maintain their online presence.
Musk has publicly condemned the asset freeze as “illegal,” arguing that SpaceX and X are separate entities and that he owns only 40% of the former. In response to the court’s actions, Starlink petitioned for the unblocking of its assets, but the request was swiftly dismissed by the court. Undeterred, Musk has pledged to continue providing free internet access to Starlink’s 250,000 Brazilian customers, many of whom reside in rural areas or are members of Indigenous tribes in the Amazon.
The Supreme Court, showing little tolerance for Musk’s defiance, has not only upheld the ban but has also approved severe penalties imposed earlier by de Moraes for those attempting to circumvent it.
VPN usage in Brazil has surged by as much as 1,600%, according to VPNMentor, a site that guides users on how to protect their online privacy. Also, alternatives to X, such as Bluesky and Threads, have seen a dramatic increase in users. Bluesky reported “new all-time-highs for activity,” with over 500,000 new users joining in just a few days, while Threads similarly rose to the top of the download charts on iPhones.
Although X is not as dominant in Brazil as platforms like Facebook, YouTube, or TikTok, its ban has left many feeling isolated. Brazilian users who spoke to The Associated Press said they feel disconnected from the rest of the world without X. This sentiment reflects a broader concern that the government’s actions, intended to combat extremism, are ironically fostering a sense of oppression and disconnect.
Maurício Santoro, a political science professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, articulated this fear in a post on X before the ban took effect.
“I’ve used VPNs a lot in authoritarian countries like China to continue accessing news sites and social networks. It never occurred to me that this type of tool would be banned in Brazil. It’s dystopian,” he said.
While the Supreme Court appears staunch in its decision to ban X, the Brazilian people are showing their discontent in large numbers. As the situation unfolds, it remains unclear whether the billionaire’s resolve will outlast the legal and financial pressures being applied by Brazilian authorities.
However, should Starlink persist in its operations post-revocation, Brazilian officials have warned they could seize equipment from the 23 ground stations that enhance the quality of Starlink’s satellite connections. Thus, there is concern that if the satellite service continues to defy the court’s order regarding X, Brazil could revoke its operating license.