"Unless at gunpoint": Musk on blocking Russian news on Starlink
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, claimed on Saturday that certain nations, excluding Ukraine, have urged his company Starlink satellite internet service to restrict Russian news outlets. "We will not do so unless at gunpoint, sorry to be a free speech absolutist," he tweeted. His statement came at a time when several media and social media platforms have restricted operations in Russia.
Why does this story matter?
In the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, digital titans like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, YouTube, Meta, and numerous more platforms have already blocked Russian media outlets Russia Today and Sputnik. The European Union (EU) has also banned the two outlets, which have been accused of spreading fake information and Russian propaganda. Australian cable TV company Foxtel also suspended the broadcast of Russia Today.
Starlink has 2,000 satellites, 50 deployed for war-hit Ukraine
Earlier, SpaceX deployed roughly 50 Starlink satellites to improve Ukraine's connectivity throughout the turmoil. The satellites were launched on a Falcon 9 rocket and are maneuvering into operational orbits using their own thrusters. However, it's uncertain whether the corporation will send more in the following weeks. Nearly 2,000 Starlink satellites are now circling Earth at a height of 340 miles.
High probability of Starlink being targeted: Musk
Starlink service activated in Ukraine
Last week, Musk announced that Starlink's satellite broadband service had been activated in Ukraine. "Starlink service is now active in Ukraine," he had tweeted, adding, "More terminals en route." Notably, Musk was responding to a tweet by Ukrainian Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, who urged the billionaire to provide his embattled country with Starlink stations.
European countries hit by major "cyberattack"
Meanwhile, European countries are facing a possible cyberattack as thousands of internet users were knocked offline at the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, NDTV reported on Saturday. The report said that following a "cyber incident" on February 24 at Viasat, a US satellite operator, roughly 9,000 users of a satellite internet service supplied by its subsidiary Nordnet in France are without internet.
