Elon Musk will not allow his satellite-based Starlink satellite internet service to muzzle pro-Russian news services amid a global crackdown by Western governments on disinformation coming out of Moscow about its war on Ukraine.
The SpaceX chief, who on Sunday deployed his communications in Ukraine after Russia invaded to ensure communication could not be cut off inside the besieged country, said it’s a matter of free speech. His stance runs counter to social media platforms that are cutting off pro-Russian perspectives on the war.
“We will not do so unless at ‘gunpoint’, sorry to be a free speech absolutist,” Musk said in a tweet.
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Musk also said SpaceX is focused on protecting its Starlink system from cyberattacks and signal jamming, an effort that could cause delays for users. In recent days, some experts have warned that devices used for satellite communications within Ukraine could attract Russian airstrikes.
Starlink has been told by some governments (not Ukraine) to block Russian news sources. We will not do so unless at gunpoint.
Sorry to be a free speech absolutist.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 5, 2022
“Important warning: Starlink is the only non-Russian communications system still working in some parts of Ukraine, so probability of being targeted is high. Please use with caution,” Musk tweeted.
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While Western governments and media companies have sought to stop misinformation from Moscow, much of Russia’s internet isolation is being driven from within. Roskomnadzor, Russia’s tech and communications regulator, has cut off access to Twitter and Facebook and driven Western media outlets out of the country with threats to imprison reporters who spread information it claims is false.
“This is a fork in the road in the history of the planet,” Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia and a director at Stanford’s International School, said in a Friday video call.
