Brazil’s Supreme Court has lifted the freeze on accounts linked to Elon Musk’s ventures, including Starlink and the social media platform X. This occurred after funds worth 18.35 million Brazilian reais (around $3.3 million) were transferred to the national treasury.
Reason for Fines
The fines are tied to a legal dispute involving X’s failure to comply with court orders to block accounts accused of spreading misinformation and hate speech in Brazil. The Supreme Court classified this content as threatening democracy, prompting legal actions against the platform.
Financial Measures and Block
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes fined X for not appointing a local legal representative, as required by Brazilian law. Although the financial penalties have been addressed, X remains blocked in Brazil since August 30.
Attorney General's Position
The case has reached the country’s Attorney General’s Office (PGR) after the country’s Bar Association and a political party, Partido Novo, challenged the platform’s ban. On September 12, the PGR argued that suspending the social media platform does not violate free speech rights and stressed that the lawsuits against the ban lack legal grounds.
This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.
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