Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet venture is increasingly being seen as critical infrastructure that can be targeted or exploited in geopolitical conflicts.
French authorities on Thursday accused two Chinese nationals of trying to intercept sensitive military data using Starlink from an Airbnb rental. And Russia, which is not allowed to use Starlink, has been illegally mounting Starlink systems on its attack drones, according to researchers. However, Ukraine said Thursday that Moscow’s terminals had been “cut off,” in a blow to Russia’s military communications.
Activists in Iran also used Starlink after Tehran imposed internet blackouts during anti-government protests last month.
But relying solely on Starlink, given Musk’s strong political views, “can be really dangerous from a country’s sovereignty perspective,” one expert argued.