Congress to probe Elon Musk’s Starlink over allegations Russia is using its technological know-how

Household Democrats have initiated an investigation into Starlink, the Elon Musk-owned enterprise that gives web assistance by means of satellite, in excess of claims Russia had access to the company to support in its occupation of Ukraine. 

On Thursday, Democratic Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Robert Garcia of California despatched a letter to the main operating officer of SpaceX, which owns Starlink, expressing problem over accusations from Ukrainian officers that its intelligence services had learned Russians using the technologies in the occupied region of Donetsk. One rationale this could be a difficulty is simply because President Joe Biden signed an govt get in 2022 that prohibits Us residents from producing new organization investments in Donetsk whilst its under Russian handle. 

Raskin and Garcia despatched the letter in their capacities as ranking customers on the Residence Oversight Committee and Countrywide Security Subcommittee, respectively. 

“Starlink is an priceless source for Ukrainians in their struggle towards Russia’s brutal and illegitimate invasion,” they wrote. “It is alarming that Russia may possibly be getting and using your technology to coordinate attacks towards Ukrainian troops in illegally occupied areas in Japanese and Southern Ukraine, most likely in violation of U.S. sanctions and export controls.”

In early February, Musk responded on his X social media platform to the news reports on the Ukrainians’ promises, saying that they are “categorically phony” and that “To the very best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold immediately or indirectly to Russia.” But as the Guardian mentioned, numerous individuals have puzzled no matter if Russia could have used digital trickery to entry Starlink in Ukraine. A several days prior to Musk’s write-up, Starlink resolved the experiences, stating that when such accusations are made, “we investigate the assert and consider steps to deactivate the terminal if verified.” (For what it is really worth, a Russian spokesperson also denied to the BBC that the state was utilizing Starlink. SpaceX does not surface to have responded publicly to the letter.)

The probability that the allegations are real underscores why several folks have sounded the alarm on Musk’s outsize affect over U.S. nationwide security as a person whose privately held organizations — notably SpaceX and Starlink — are major contractors for the U.S. authorities and other nations around the world. As significantly as SpaceX is involved, the government wouldn’t have these difficulties with transparency if the enterprise have been community or owned in aspect by the govt.

Following Musk refused to increase Starlink’s assistance to permit Ukraine to attack Russia in Crimea, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., opened a probe into what he termed “serious countrywide-security liability issues” induced by “the outsized part Mr. Musk and his company” have in the satellite market place and federal government contracting area.

Raskin and Garcia’s probe just adds to that scrutiny. At very last, it appears folks are beginning to notice that a protection infrastructure that relies so intensely on technologies that belongs to a mercurial conspiracy theorist is a terrible notion.