Bloomberg: Starlink terminals are being sold on the black market
SpaceX does nothing about it, but promises some countries it will work with them to keep its services out of certain areas

According to Bloomberg, the black market for Starlink is emerging in regions with poor connectivity that need high-speed and reliable internet. These are, for example, Yemen, Sudan, Kazakhstan, and Venezuela.
Starlink satellite communication terminals developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX company are being sold on the black market around the world, Bloomberg reported, citing sources.
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The publication conducted an investigation and found many examples of illegal trade and activation of Starlink kits.
According to Bloomberg, the black market is emerging in regions with poor connectivity where there is a need for high-speed and reliable internet. As examples, the authors of the article cite Yemen and Sudan, where fierce civil wars have been going on for many years. In both countries, there are frequent Internet outages, so the military has resorted to using Starlink systems.
The article also cites the case of Kazakhstan, where until recently, according to Bloomberg, a set could be obtained through the local postal service, even as a private client. The terminals are also widely used in Venezuela, although the coverage map on Starlink's website shows that the country is not connected to satellite communications.
The smuggling methods and the availability of Starlink on the black market indicate that the misuse of the communication system is a global problem that raises questions about the company's control over its products, Bloomberg notes.
SpaceX did not respond to journalists' questions about the availability of terminals on the black market. However, according to the newspaper, the company promises some countries that it will work with them to ensure that its services do not reach certain areas.
On 11 February, Ukraine's intelligence service claimed that Russian troops were using Starlink in the war zone, publishing a fragment of intercepted Russian military communications as evidence. Defence One and Astra reported that Starlink terminals could have been delivered to Russia via Dubai.
SpaceX stated that it "does not do business with the Russian government or its military". Elon Musk personally denied the sale of Starlink to the Russian army.
"To the best of our knowledge, no Starlink has been sold to Russia, directly or indirectly," he tweeted.
Last year, SpaceX banned the Ukrainian military from using Starlink for offensive purposes, including to control drones.
Walter Isaacson's biography of Musk claimed that in 2022, the SpaceX founder secretly ordered the disconnection of Starlink satellites near the coast of annexed Crimea to disrupt an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Russian navy.
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