Brazil’s Telecommunication Regulatory Authority Issues Warning to Starlink Regarding Potential License Revocation.

September 2, 2024 TruthUSA

The country’s regulator notified Starlink of potential sanctions, including possible license revocation, for refusing to block X.

Brazil’s telecommunications regulator Anatel has cautioned Elon Musk’s Starlink about potential sanctions, which could involve revoking the operating license of the satellite internet provider in Brazil if it refuses to block access to the X social media platform.

A spokesperson for Anatel informed The Epoch Times via email that Starlink had informed Anatel commissioner Carlos Baigorri of its intention to defy an order from the Supreme Court of Brazil to shut down X in the country.

The spokesperson also mentioned that Anatel instructed all telecommunication operators in Brazil to comply with the order to block access to X and is currently verifying compliance with this requirement for more than 20,000 companies, including Starlink.

The regulator issued a notice to providers on Aug. 31, giving them five days to adhere to the shutdown order, with potential sanctions for non-compliance such as a warning, temporary suspension, or license revocation.

The Anatel spokesperson added that Starlink had not officially communicated its intention to defy the ban to Anatel but had done so informally to Baigorri, who is the president of the Anatel board of directors.

Meanwhile, Artur Coimbra, another senior Anatel official, informed Reuters on Sept. 2 that Starlink is the only operator in Brazil currently refusing to block access to X for approximately 20 million users in the country.

Starlink, which stated on Aug. 29 that its assets were frozen in Brazil, reportedly informed Coimbra that it will not comply with the shutdown order for X until the asset freeze is lifted.

A request for comment on the potential sanctions, sent to SpaceX, the operator of Starlink, has not been promptly answered.

The warning from the Brazilian telecoms regulator is the latest development in an ongoing disagreement between Brazilian authorities and X owner Elon Musk, who has refused to adhere to court orders to block accounts accused of spreading hate and misinformation. Musk and X’s global government affairs team have criticized these orders as unlawful censorship attempts.

“We are expecting Judge Alexandre de Moraes to issue an order to shut down X in Brazil soon—simply because we have declined to comply with his illegal requests to censor individuals he opposes politically,” X’s global government affairs team stated, mentioning that de Moraes warned X’s Brazilian legal representative of potential imprisonment and subsequently froze all her bank accounts.

De Moraes’s order imposes a daily fine of $8,900 on users in Brazil who use a virtual private network to bypass the ban on X. He stated that X will remain blocked until it follows his directives.

“Elon Musk has shown blatant disrespect for Brazilian sovereignty and the judiciary, positioning himself as an entity above the laws of each nation,” de Moraes wrote.

Starlink mentioned in a statement that it plans to challenge the asset freeze order in court, alleging that it was imposed without due process. The company serves over a quarter million customers in Brazil and is striving to ensure uninterrupted service to its users.

X’s global affairs team affirmed on Aug. 29 that it remains steadfast against the shutdown orders.

“Unlike other social media and technology platforms, we will not clandestinely comply with illegal orders,” the team stated. “To our users in Brazil and worldwide, X remains dedicated to upholding your freedom of expression.”

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