Title: SpaceX President Urges Brazilian Judge to Halt Starlink Harassment Amid Legal Battle
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell has made a fervent appeal to a prominent Brazilian judicial figure, requesting an end to the harassment of Starlink, the company’s satellite internet service, amidst an ongoing legal dispute involving Elon Musk’s social media platform, X.
The conflict between Musk’s X and the Brazilian courts has been ongoing for several months, with the courts alleging that the platform hosts accounts that disseminate extremism and misinformation. After X defied court orders to remove specific accounts, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued a nationwide suspension of the platform, a decision that was supported by Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and upheld by the court earlier this week.
The dispute has now extended to Musk’s other ventures, particularly SpaceX. Following the ban on X, Brazilian authorities reportedly froze the financial accounts of Starlink, ensuring that X could pay the over $3 million in fines owed to the courts, according to local media reports.
The freeze specifically targets Starlink Brazil Holding Ltda and Starlink Brazil Servicos de Internet Ltda, which have provided internet access to approximately 250,000 customers in Brazil since January 2022. Many of these customers reside in regions with inadequate traditional telecom infrastructure, making it one of Starlink’s largest markets outside of North America.
SpaceX has yet to respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment on the matter. Initially, Starlink stated that it would defy the court’s order to block access to X, but the company later reversed its decision and agreed to comply.
In a statement on X, Starlink argued that the asset freeze was based on an unfounded determination that Starlink should be responsible for the fines levied—unconstitutionally—against X. The company also announced that it had initiated legal proceedings in Brazil to challenge the order.
Despite the freezing of its assets, Starlink stated, Regardless of the illegal treatment of Starlink in freezing of our assets, we are complying with the order to block access to X in Brazil.
In response to the situation, SpaceX sent a company-wide email advising employees against traveling to Brazil, even for personal reasons, and announced plans to relocate a small group of employees based in the country. This information was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Shotwell’s plea is the latest development in a complex financial and geopolitical entanglement that has implications for Musk’s various business interests, highlighting the potential risks of penalties being extended to unrelated ventures.
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