SpaceX has disabled more than 2500 Starlink devices in Myanmar that were being used by criminal networks for cyberattacks and online fraud, according to CNN.
For over a year, the United States has expressed concerns about the use of Starlink by criminal groups in Myanmar for internet access and fraudulent activities. SpaceX stated that it monitors violations across all markets where Starlink operates.
«In rare instances when we identify violations, we take appropriate measures, including collaborating with law enforcement agencies worldwide,» said Lauren Dreyer, SpaceX’s VP of business operations for Starlink.
She added that SpaceX independently identified and «blocked over 2500 Starlink kits near suspected fraud centers».
Dreyer did not specify the date of the device shutdown, but the announcement came after Myanmar's military junta reported discovering 30 sets of «receivers and accessories» from Starlink during a raid on one of the fraud complexes.
According to a recent report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, there are around 30 large complexes along the Myanmar-Thailand border specifically built for fraud that rakes in billions every year, with American citizens also falling victim.
Workers at these fraud centers are often lured by promises of well-paying jobs or become victims of human trafficking. They are regularly held against their will and forced to participate in online fraud schemes in heavily guarded complexes where beatings and torture are common, CNN reports.