Despite requests from various governments, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk stated Saturday that his business will not block access to Russian media outlets on its Starlink internet system.
“Starlink has been told by some governments (not Ukraine) to block Russian news sources,” Musk wrote on Twitter Saturday (March 5). “We will not do so unless at gunpoint.”
The request comes as Russian armed forces continue to occupy Ukraine, and numerous countries, including the United States, have imposed heavy economic sanctions in response. According to Newsweek, certain tech companies such as Google and Microsoft have worked to restrict Russian media channels such as the state-run RT network and Sputnik, but Musk’s statement hinted that Starlink would not block individual Russian news organisations.
Musk did not specify which countries have approached SpaceX’s Starlink service to request that Russian media outlets be restricted, other from Ukraine.
SpaceX’s Starlink internet is operational in Ukraine, and the corporation has dispatched antennas and terminals to the country this week to assist in the restoration of internet and communications following the Russian invasion on February 24. On Monday, those terminals arrived (Feb. 28).
The Starlink system is a satellite megaconstellation developed by SpaceX to deliver high-speed, low-latency broadband internet connection to remote or underserved places around the world. Since 2019, the business has launched over 2,000 satellites to expand the Starlink network.
After some Starlink terminals in conflict regions in Ukraine had their communications jammed for hours at a time, Musk said SpaceX was shifting its focus to cyber security.
He has also cautioned Ukrainian Starlink users to take precautions to guarantee that their usage of the satellite internet system does not make them a target for Russian military.
