Starlink Services Disconnected in Myanmar Amidst Scam Operations

Thu Oct 23 2025 19:46:15 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In a decisive action, SpaceX terminates Starlink services to over 2,500 satellite devices linked to scam camps in Myanmar, highlighting the ongoing struggle against human trafficking and exploitation in the region.

SpaceX has announced the discontinuation of Starlink services to more than 2,500 devices utilized by scam centers in Myanmar. This decision follows a military operation that liberated over 2,000 trafficked workers from a prominent scam compound. Despite this measure, numerous scam operations persist, capitalizing on the dire situation in Myanmar, where victims are exploited under deceptive job offers. Starlink's intervention aims to restrict the operational capabilities of crime syndicates leveraging satellite technology.

Elon Musk's SpaceX says it has cut Starlink satellite communication links to more than 2,500 devices used by scam compounds in Myanmar.

More than 30 compounds are believed to be operating along the Thai-Myanmar border, where people from around the world are trafficked and forced to work on scams generating tens of billions of dollars annually.

Announcing the move, Lauren Dreyer, head of Starlink business operations, stated the firm acts on rare occasions when it identifies violations.

The service termination follows Monday's takeover of one of the largest compounds, KK Park, by the Myanmar military, as it retakes territory lost to insurgent groups over the past two years.

Campaigners have long warned that Starlink technology enables mainly Chinese crime syndicates to operate from remote locations along the border.

Myanmar has become notorious for these operations, which defraud victims through romantic scams and bogus investment schemes.

Workers are lured under the guise of legitimate jobs only to be held captive and forced into criminal activity.

Survivors recount experiences of torture and grueling working conditions. Many of the victims come from African nations.

In Myanmar... SpaceX proactively identified and disabled over 2,500 Starlink Kits in the vicinity of suspected scam centers, Dreyer mentioned in a post on X.

We are committed to ensuring the service remains a force for good and sustains trust worldwide, helping connect the unconnected while preventing misuse by bad actors, she emphasized.

On Monday, Myanmar's military claimed to have cleared KK Park, releasing over 2,000 workers and confiscating 30 Starlink terminals.

Photographs show satellite dishes on the compound's rooftops, with footage revealing thousands of workers leaving KK Park on foot.

However, at least 30 other scam compounds remain operational along the border, employing tens of thousands globally. Many are protected by militia loyal to the Myanmar military, and it is unclear whether these centers have also lost access to Starlink services.

These compounds have become integral to Myanmar's wartime economy, as the junta combats various rebel groups while relying on Chinese support to maintain power.