Brazil's Supreme Court ordered Musk's social network to cease operations immediately after he refused to appoint a legal representative for his social media platform X in Brazil. The ban caps a months-long dispute between Musk and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is leading a crackdown on fake news and hate speech, saying such content undermines Brazil's democracy. Musk and conservatives including former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said the judge overstepped his authority and undermined free speech.
On August 18, Moraes issued an order blocking Starlink's bank accounts, forcing the company to pay a fine against X. In an appeal filed last Friday, Starlink Brazil asked the Supreme Court to revoke the order, saying its internet business does not fall into the case against X. (Jin Shi)