The Wall Street Journal reports that SpaceX emailed employees not to travel to Brazil for business or leisure as it continues to be entangled in an X ban by the nation’s supreme court. Non-Brazilian employees were also reportedly relocated quietly.
For the last few months, Elon Musk’s media project, X, has been in legal trouble with Brazil over the nation’s required involvement in protecting citizens from seeing misinformation on social networks. Brazil requested several accounts be taken down for spreading election misinformation and appoint a legal representative to oversee these matters.
In response, X denied to comply and pulled its presence from the country. Brazil is now after legal fines and penalties from the company, which it levied on Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet provider, to do so.
Brazil’s Supreme Court has frozen Starlink’s accounts to ensure they will be paid X’s fines. The court also banned X from the nation. Musk is a majority owner of both companies; however, that is the only tie it has with the social media platform.
Starlink has stated it finds the levy on its finances is illegal and will fight it in court. It also promised to attempt to provide coverage for Starlink subscribers in the nation even though they can no longer pay. Interestingly, Starlink also stated it would comply with banning X through its service in Brazil.
This all came to an email reported on by the Wall Street Journal this week, warning Starlink employees to avoid Brazil in their travel plans. This states just how serious tensions could be between Musk and the country.
Since then, Musk has spent no time insulting and creating fake images about Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
It’s important for Starlink to comply with a nation’s orders, as internet providers have to get permission to operate from each country it is available in. So, if Starlink wishes to operate in Brazil, the largest nation in South America, then it will have to remain favorable in the government’s eyes.
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