Elon Musk and a Brazilian judge are facing intensified confrontation over Starlink assets.
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Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes threatened to suspend X, formerly Twitter, unless Elon Musk named a new legal representative within 24 hours.
Musk's satellite internet operator, Starlink, has been ordered by Moraes to freeze its finances and prevent it from conducting financial transactions in the country.
Starlink, which functions in Brazil, especially in the Amazon region, claimed that the decision "is rooted in a groundless conclusion that Starlink should bear the fines imposed – unconstitutionally – on X."
The company announced on X its intention to take legal action regarding the issue.
Moraes, in charge of Brazil's Superior Electoral Tribunal, has led the fight against misinformation in the biggest country in South America, facing off with Musk in the process.
He ordered the suspension of multiple X accounts, many of which were owned by followers of Brazil's ex-far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro. These accounts were attempting to undermine the electoral process of the election he did not win in 2022.
Moraes's decision on Wednesday intensified the ongoing feud that has been going on for months.
Already in April, Moraes had ordered an investigation of Musk, accusing him of reactivating some of the banned accounts.
Musk and other critics accuse Moraes of stifling free speech.
Is there a possibility that X will be suspended in Brazil?
In the announcement made on Wednesday, Moraes instructed Musk to designate the new legal representative for the company in Brazil within one day.
It was stated that if the order is not followed, the decision includes halting the social network's operations in Brazil.
After the instruction was given, the hashtag "O Twitter morreu" ("Twitter is dead") became popular in Brazil, and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from the left shared a post on the site with links to his other social media profiles.
Musk fired back at the directive by alleging that Moraes had continuously violated the laws that he promised to enforce. He additionally shared a mocking post and edited image portraying Moraes as "Voldemort and a Sith Lord," referring to the antagonists of the Harry Potter and Star Wars series.
Earlier this month, Musk closed down X's operations in Brazil, stating that Moraes had used the threat of arrest against the company's former legal representative to enforce "censorship orders."
On the other hand, Brazilian users have still been able to log onto the social media platform.
A separate legal inquiry is looking into Musk's alleged involvement in a scheme to use public funds for disinformation campaigns supporting Bolsonaro and his allies.
The rise and spread of false information and conspiracy theories on social platforms have prompted discussions about the importance of regulating content while finding a middle ground between debunking lies and potentially limiting free expression.
The discussion has become more heated following France's recent apprehension of Pavel Durov, the leader of Telegram, who may be tried for permitting prohibited content on his messaging platform.
Musk, who has decreased content control on X since becoming the new owner of the former Twitter in 2022, has expressed solidarity with Durov by leaving remarks with the hashtag #FreePavel.
After the charges, Musk posted a meme on X of a surveillance camera attached to buildings inscribed with France's motto, "liberty, equality, fraternity."