The Supreme Court of Brazil has lifted the freeze on the bank accounts of Elon Musk's satellite internet company, Starlink, and his social media platform, X, after both companies transferred over USD 3 million in outstanding fines. According to Al Jazeera, the Brazilian government collected 11 million Brazilian reais (USD 1.9 million) from Starlink's account and 7.2 million Brazilian reais (USD 1.3 million) from X's account to cover penalties ordered by the court.

Following the payments, Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled that the bank accounts could be unfrozen, stating, "After the payment of the full amount that was owed, Justice [de Moraes] considered there was no need to keep the bank accounts frozen and ordered the immediate unfreezing of bank accounts/financial assets."

Earlier, de Moraes had issued a controversial decision to block X in Brazil after Elon Musk failed to comply with court orders to remove accounts accused of spreading false information. Additionally, the social media platform missed a deadline to appoint a legal representative in Brazil, further complicating its legal standing.

Musk, who owns both Starlink and X, had previously expressed defiance when Starlink initially refused to comply with restrictions imposed by the court. Following the court's action, Musk referred to de Moraes as an "evil dictator" for ordering the shutdown of X in Brazil.

Musk has also expressed sympathy for supporters of Brazil's former conservative president, Jair Bolsonaro, who lost the October 2022 election. Bolsonaro had spread unsubstantiated claims about the election results, which culminated in an invasion of Brazil's legislature by his supporters on January 8, 2023. These supporters called for a military takeover to reverse the election outcome. As a result of the unrest, Bolsonaro has been banned from holding public office until 2030. His conflict with Justice de Moraes over investigations into his actions echoes Musk's current legal struggles in Brazil.

Image source: ANI