Starlink Defies Brazil Ban And Promises Free Internet
Elon Musk continues to prove an unpopular public figure in many circles, with this recently resulting in the country of Brazil outright banning the social media site X across their entire nation. However, users can still access the site via Starlink, an internet service offered by Musk that still can be utilized in Brazil and that Musk is now giving away free in the country to defy the ruling. The nation is not taking this defiance lightly though, and is preparing to take further action against Musk if he refuses to comply.
The Conflict
The bad blood stems from the fact that ever since Musk took over Twitter and rebranded it as X, many critics feels he has become so lenient towards free speech at all costs that it has turned X into a safe haven for hate speech.
The Supreme Court of Brazil deemed the site to be unsafe for users in its current state and ordered all internet service providers in the country to block it. However, Musk’s Starlink is refusing to adhere to Brazil’s orders.
Brazil Cracking Down
Brazil is not backing down though. They have now frozen the bank accounts of Starlink in the country and are considering revoking their service license.
If Musk continues to be defiant even then, Starlink could see their service equipment in Brazil seized by the local government to physically prevent Starlink from being able to function in the country. Musk pledges that Starlink users will receive free service as long as the provider’s accounts remain frozen.
Brazilians Discouraged From Accessing X
Meanwhile, residents of Brazil are also receiving strong discouragement from attempting to bypass the country’s mandate. Users caught using a virtual private network (VPN) to appear to be from a different country so they can still access X will face stiff punitive action.
This includes a daily fine of 50,000 Brazilian Real, which converts to about $9,000 dollars in the United States. No ambiguity is being left that Starlink and X are currently unwelcome in Brazil.
The Escalation
Sanctions against X were not the first step in this process. Legislators initially only wanted Musk to block certain accounts on X that they deemed to be propagators of hate speech.
Musk felt that this was the government overstepping itself by attempting to force censorship upon his site. From there, the Supreme Court fined Musk $3 million for refusing to adhere to their orders. That leads us to the current standoff taking place currently between Starlink and Brazil.
Musk’s Promises May Be Empty
Starlink currently has about 250,000 users in Brazil, but if events continue along their current trajectory, they may very soon need to find a different internet provider.
While Elon Musk no doubt has the resources to weather whatever sanctions Brazil could throw at him, the average Brazilian citizen is not so fortunate.
It is unclear how much further the standoff between Starlink and Brazil might escalate, but based on the speed that the country’s government is handling the situation, we could see further developments very soon.
Neither side appears willing to budge, so it might just be the case that Musk’s promise of free internet for his users in the country will be a very short-lived perk.
Source: Engadget
