Starlink will not block X-Twitter in Brazil
poder360.com.br
poder360.com.br
Elon Musk's satellite internet company says it will not comply with Alexandre de Moraes' decision until its accounts are unblocked.
Musk's company is currently the largest satellite internet provider in the country. It has more than 42% of the segment's market share, with 215,000 customers, including schools, government offices, entire villages and communities in the Amazon, ships and Armed Forces bases.
https://www.poder360.com.br/poder-tech/starlink-diz-a-anatel...
Judge Moraes ordered all 20,000 ISPs and backbone providers in Brazil to block X-Twitter. He also ordered a fine of US$8900 per day for any Brazilian citizen who uses a VPN to access Twitter.
Judge Moraes had also ordered Apple and Google to remove all VPN apps from their app stores, and for Apple and Google to block all VPN apps already installed on users' phones. A few hours later, Judge Moraes issued a new court order, temporarily suspending Apple and Google from that order. But the fine of US$8,900 per day for any citizen who uses a VPN to access Twitter is still valid, still in effect.
Excellent background information on the importance of Starlink in Brazil, from the NYT's excellent correspondent Jack Nicas. In addition to remote tribes, Starlink has been a revolution for many disadvantaged communities in Brazil:
The Internet’s Final Frontier: Remote Amazon Tribes Elon Musk’s Starlink has connected an isolated tribe to the outside world — and divided it from within.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/02/world/americas/starlink-i... https://archive.is/v0Zwq
Starlink has had all its accounts frozen by the same judge, on behalf of X-Twitter (a completely separate company), and cannot receive monthly payments from subscribers. Starlink has formally declared that it will continue to provide Internet access, free of charge, to all its current customers: