Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has unfrozen the bank accounts of the social media platform X and the satellite internet company Starlink after ordering the transfer of more than $3m owed in fines.
In a statement on Friday, the country’s highest court said the Brazilian government retrieved 7.2 million Brazilian reais ($1.3m) from an X bank account and almost 11 million Brazilian reais ($1.9m) from a Starlink account to settle the fines.
“After the payment of the full amount that was owed, Justice [de Moraes] considered there was no need to keep the bank accounts frozen and ordered the immediate unfreezing of bank accounts/financial assets,” the statement says.
De Moraes previously made the controversial decision to ban X in Brazil after its owner, right-wing billionaire Elon Musk, refused to comply with court orders to remove accounts accused of spreading misinformation.
The social media platform also failed to meet a deadline to name a legal representative in Brazil, as required by law.
Musk owns both X and Starlink and initially, after the court’s ban on X, Starlink representatives reportedly indicated their internet service would not comply with the restriction.
Still, the decision to penalise both X and Starlink has been questioned by legal analysts since they function as separate companies.
In response to the court’s decision to shutter X, Musk called de Moraes an “evil dictator”.
The South African billionaire has shown a penchant for promoting far-right conspiracy theories and false claims about election fraud.
Musk also expressed sympathy for supporters of Brazil’s former right-wing leader, Jair Bolsonaro, who spread unsubstantiated claims about the country’s October 2022 election, which he lost.
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