--- title: "Elon Musk Rages as Brazil Freezes Starlink’s Assets" description: "Elon Musk is playing with political fire amid his ongoing feud with a Brazilian Supreme Court judge — and for once, he might be right." date: "2024-08-30" modified: "2024-08-30" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/elon-musk-brazil-starlink-twitter-feud" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "starlink" - "the digeset" - "twitter" --- # Elon Musk Rages as Brazil Freezes Starlink’s Assets ![Elon Musk is playing with political fire amid his ongoing feud with a Brazilian Supreme Court judge — and for once, he might be right.]() *\Image: Craig T Fruchtman via Getty / Futurism\* ## Feud State Elon Musk is once again playing with political fire amid his [ongoing feud with a Brazilian Supreme Court judge]() — and for once, the brash billionaire may be in the right. Though the fight that could, as [*CNBC*]() and [other outlets]() [report](), lead to the suspension of X-formerly-Twitter in Brazil has escalated dramatically this past week, the roots of Musk's spat with federal judge Alexandre de Moraes go back many months. The debacle began in April, when [Moraes ordered specific accounts be suspended]() in the country's sweeping push against disinformation. Although [X initially complied](), Musk was none too pleased and ultimately said he was [lifting the suspensions]() and alleged that Moraes had "applied massive fines, threatened to arrest our employees and cut off access to X in Brazil." "As a result, we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there," the site owner [wrote in an April tweet](). "But principles matter more than profit." In response, [the judge opened an investigation]() into Musk himself, and after [months of barb-trading]() in the interim, the site owner [chose to shut down X's Brazil operations]() in mid-August after Moraes threatened to arrest the social network's lawyer if he continued to not comply with his orders. ## Freeze Frame Following that arrest threat, X recalled its original lawyer — a move that clearly angered Moraes, who gave the site a [since-passed 24-hour deadline]() to name a new legal representative or face a ban in Brazil. As the ban loomed, the judge also ordered Starlink's assets in the country frozen to ensure X pays its fines, the [Portuguese-language outlet *G1* reported earlier]() in the week. While much of this contentious legal battle clearly hinges on two outsized egos butting heads, it does very much seem that Moraes is overreaching — [and not for the first time]() — in his apparent crusade against disinformation. Now that the judge's deadline to name a new lawyer has passed, Brazil and the rest of the world will have to wait to see if he's going to follow through on his ban threat. In the meantime, Musk is digging in deeper in his condemnation of "[evil dictator]()" Moraes on X — which for all its righteousness is probably a foolish way to handle such a difficult adjudicator. **More on Musk:** [*Elon Musk Seems to Have Completely Missed the Point of "Star Trek"*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()