Brazil’s Telecom Regulator Warns Starlink Its License Could Be Revoked

Elon Musk speaks at an AI conference in Beverly Hills, Calif., on May 6, 2024. Apu Gomes/Getty Images

Brazil’s telecommunications regulator Anatel warned Elon Musk’s Starlink of possible sanctions, including a revocation of the satellite internet provider’s operating license, if satellite internet provider refuses to block the X social media platform.

A spokesperson for Anatel told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement on Sept. 2 that Starlink had indicated its intention to refuse to comply with an order from the Supreme Court of Brazil to shut down X in the country.

The spokesperson added that Anatel had told all telecoms operators in Brazil that they must comply with the order to block access to X and that the regulator is in the process of verifying compliance with the requirement by more than 20,000 companies, including Starlink.

The regulator notified providers on Aug. 31 that they have five days to comply with the shutdown order, the spokesperson said, adding that possible sanctions for non-compliance including a warning, temporary suspension, or revocation of operating license.

The Anatel spokesperson added that Starlink had not formally communicated to Anatel its intention to buck the ban, declaring its intention to do so “informally” to Carlos Baigorri, who serves as president of the Anatel board of directors.

Meanwhile, another senior Anatel official, Artur Coimbra, told Reuters on Sept. 2 that Starlink is currently the only operator refusing to block access to X for Brazil’s 20 million or so users.

Starlink, which said on Aug. 29 that its assets had been frozen in Brazil, reportedly told Coimbra that it would not comply with the order to shut down X until the asset freeze is lifted.

A request for comment on the possible sanctions, sent to SpaceX, which operates Starlink, was not immediately returned.

The warning issued by the Brazilian telecoms regulator marks the latest salvo in a long-running dispute between Brazilian officials and X owner Elon Musk, who has refused to comply with court orders to block accounts accused by investigators of spreading hate and misinformation. Both Musk and X’s global government affairs team have denounced these orders as unlawful attempts at censorship.

“Soon, we expect Judge Alexandre de Moraes will order X to be shut down in Brazil—simply because we would not comply with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents,” X’s global government affairs team said in a statement, which said that de Moraes had warned X’s Brazilian legal representative of possible imprisonment and later froze all of her bank accounts.

De Moraes’s order, which requires internet service providers and app stores to block access to X, also announced a daily penalty of $8,900 for users in Brazil who use a virtual private network to evade the ban. In his decision, de Moraes said X will remain blocked until it complies with his orders.

“Elon Musk showed his total disrespect for Brazilian sovereignty and, in particular, for the judiciary, setting himself up as a true supranational entity and immune to the laws of each country,” de Moraes wrote.

Starlink said in a statement that it intends to mount a legal challenge to the asset freeze order, which it said was imposed without due process. The company said it connects over a quarter million customers in Brazil and that the Starlink team “is doing everything possible to ensure their service is not interrupted.”

X’s global affairs team has said on Aug. 29 that it remains undeterred by the shutdown orders.

“Unlike other social media and technology platforms, we will not comply in secret with illegal orders,” the team said in a statement. “To our users in Brazil and around the world, X remains committed to protecting your freedom of speech.”