New Delhi: Brazils Supreme Court has lifted restrictions on Starlink and X following a substantial financial settlement. The decision came after Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the transfer of 18.35 million reais (approximately $3.31 million) from the accounts of these entities to the Brazilian governments national funds.Background of the financial settlementThe lifting of the restrictions was triggered by the completion of the payment, which covered the fines imposed on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. This financial penalty was part of a broader dispute involving billionaire Elon Musk, who owns both X and Starlink. The fines had accumulated due to ongoing legal and regulatory disagreements between Musk and Justice de Moraes.Details of the disputeThe conflict between Musk and Justice de Moraes has escalated significantly in recent months. The situation reached a peak when Musks social media platform X faced a nationwide ban in Brazil. During this period, the court imposed a daily fine of $9,000 for any user attempting to bypass the suspension using a virtual private network (VPN). The ban led to a migration of Brazilian users to alternative platforms such as Threads and Bluesky.Impact and repercussionsBefore the restrictions were lifted, X had a substantial user base in Brazil, with approximately 22 million users, according to the Digital 2024: Brazil report. Despite this, the platforms user base was smaller compared to other social media giants like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. The financial settlement and subsequent lifting of the ban mark a significant resolution to the high-profile legal clash.With the payment of the fines, the restrictions on X and Starlink have been removed, allowing these services to resume operations in Brazil.
