Senator Urges Elon Musk To Halt Starlink Access For Southeast Asian Financial Scammers: 'SpaceX Has A Responsibility...'

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is facing pressure from a U.S. senator to prevent the use of Starlink satellite internet service by criminal organizations in Southeast Asia.

What Happened:  Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) has called on Musk to take action against transnational criminal groups operating in Southeast Asia who are using Starlink to defraud Americans, reported Reuters. She cited reports of Starlink being used by fraudulent “scam compounds” in countries such as Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia, where, according to the United Nations, victims are coerced into labor for unlawful online operations.

The U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network reported that these groups have defrauded Americans of billions of dollars.

“SpaceX has a responsibility to block criminals from using the service to target Americans,” Hassan wrote in a letter to Musk.

Criminal networks in Southeast Asia remain a growing concern, as the United Nations reports they have trafficked hundreds of thousands of people into scam compounds across the region. Efforts to disrupt these operations—such as cutting off electricity and internet access in targeted areas—have so far failed to eliminate the problem.

SEE ALSO: Trump’s $750 Billion EU Energy Deal ‘Wholly Unrealistic’ And ‘Absurd,’ Say Analysts: ‘How Would Literally Any Of This Work’

Why It Matters: This is not the first time that Starlink has been at the center of geopolitical and security concerns. In 2022, during Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia, Musk reportedly ordered a shutdown of Starlink in strategic areas, potentially impacting the outcome of the conflict.

Starlink has also been undergoing widespread testing by the FAA to improve the Air Traffic Control System. The agency is currently testing over 41 Starlink connections at facilities across the U.S.

Speaking of scams, last week, Christina Chapman, an Arizona woman, was charged with helping North Korean IT workers obtain jobs at U.S. companies using fake identities. The charges stemmed from a scheme in which IT workers obtained remote positions at 309 companies, earning $17.1 million in compensation that was ultimately funneled to North Korea.

• READ MORE:
  
  Elon Musk’s India Ambitions Get Major Boost As Starlink Gets Approval Following Tesla’s Mumbai Debut

Image via Shutterstock

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.