The United States smuggled thousands of Starlink terminals into Iran in January as the Iranian regime cut off internet service in the country as part of a brutal crackdown on anti-regime protests, according to a report published by the Wall Street Journal on Friday. Starlink, a subsidiary of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is a satellite-internet network that can be accessed through small, portable Starlink terminals. The US sent around 6,000 terminals to Iran in an unprecedented, direct attempt to deliver internet freedomto regime-stifled protestors, according to officials cited by the outlet.
The majority of the US State Department’s purchase of almost 7,000 terminals was made in January, utilizing funds diverted from similar “internet-freedom initiatives,” to “help anti-regime activists circumvent internet shut-offs in Iran,” officials told WSJ. Starlink terminals are just one of the methods the US has explored for expanding uncensored internet access for Iranians despite regime blackouts.
The US additionally funds virtual private networks (VPNs) for Iranians, and, according to the WSJ, there is some debate among US officials regarding whether Starlink or VPNs better protect Iranian internet freedom. “Operating Starlink without VPNs would make it easier for Iranian authorities to geolocate the user,” US officials told the WSJ, adding that VPNs are “more accessible and cost-effective for a broader base of people." (Read More)
