754
Starlink is refusing to comply with Brazil's X ban (Update: Starlink will comply)
(www.engadget.com)
this post was submitted on 02 Sep 2024
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I hope and pray what Brazil is doing now (but don't believe it will) becomes a blueprint in choking off Musks cynical use of Freedom of Speech to attempt to overthrow democracies everywhere in service to fascist power
The problem is that this IS the blueprint.
Blocking twitter? That's fine. People generally hate twitter so whatever.
But starlink? That is a genuinely okay product (so long as it isn't too sunny where you live...) and actually does serve a niche for people who can't get better internet. And it rapidly will go from "The government blocked twitter. I guess that is probably good?" to "The government is taking away internet from thousands of people and this is literally worse than china"
Brazilian here, the court couldn’t find anyone in Brazil that represents X to pay the fines and to block the accounts spreading lies about the anti-democratic events of January of last year. Since Elon Musk is one of the major shareholder of both companies they connected the dots and Starlink has representatives in Brazil their account was frozen in order to get the fines owed by Musk’s other company. Later the government found out Starlink was not blocking access to X as any other internet provided was instructed to do so.
Musk is a big supporter of Far-right Brazilians including former president Bolsonaro and his political allies. It was during Bolsonaro’s government that Brazilian army switched to use Starlink.
The free speech agenda that Musk is advertising is not the main issue here but a government that goes against Musks interests and his companies.
Free speech has jack all to do with it.
What matters are people who suddenly can't watch kitty cat videos... or organize military operations. They don't care about misinformation campaigns and fines. They care that suddenly The Government has taken something away from them.