Brazil withdrew 18.35 million reais ($3.3 million) from the bank accounts of Elon Musk’s X and Starlink to pay for fines imposed by the Supreme Court, continuing a dispute that’s led to the blackout of the billionaire’s social media service in the country, Report informs referring to Bloomberg.
The court ordered the transfer of funds on Wednesday and the accounts have since been unfrozen, according to a statement from the judicial body released Friday.
Musk is mired in a bitter standoff with Brazil’s top judge, who is leading a campaign against fake news and hate speech in Latin America’s largest nation. Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the platform formerly known as Twitter be banned last month and blocked Starlink’s accounts in a bid to force the US technology impresario’s company to pay the penalties imposed for ignoring a previous order.
“The blocking of the accounts occurred because the justice considered the joint liability between X Brasil Internet Ltda., Starlink Brazil Holding Ltda. and Starlink Brazil Internet Services Ltda. for payment of fines,” the court said Friday.