Iran authorities hunting down Starlink users to block protest videos from going global amid internet blackout
Iranian authorities have recently launched a crackdown on nationwide protests, including the near shutdown of internet services which were being provided through fiber-optic cables and cellphone towers.
Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran. (AP Photo)
Iran’s clerical authorities have blocked the internet services in the country for the past five days and have also throttled the phone services in a massive crackdown against protests which has killed over 2,500 people.
But the government is now hunting down those using entrepreneur Elon Musk’s Starlink service to share videos of the growing protest in the country, as Starlink’s satellite internet service has been able to escape the nationwide communications blackout. Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration has also intensified efforts to jam the Starlink service, which is already banned in the country.
The Iranian government, over the weekend, launched a probe to search and confiscate Starlink devices in western Tehran, said Amir Rashidi, director of Miaan Group, a US-based non-profit group focused on digital rights and security. “It’s electronic warfare,” Rashidi added, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Iranian authorities have recently launched a crackdown on nationwide protests, including the near shutdown of internet services which were being provided through fiber-optic cables and cellphone towers.
Starlink has been able to work at some locations across the country despite being banned by the Islamic Republic. US President Donald Trump has threatened to intervene in response to the Iranian regime’s crackdown on protesters. Iranian authorities have blamed the outfall of unrest on “terrorists” and pledged to safeguard the system.
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In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media shows protesters dancing and cheering around a bonfire as they take to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world, in Tehran, Iran. (AP)
It remains unclear how the Starlink’s services are being disrupted in Iran, but a Reuters report quoting specialists reported that it could be a result of jamming of Starlink terminals which could overpower their ability to receive signals from the satellites.
Elon Musk’s Sarlink has proven to be a communication lifeline for some protesters in Iran and it is also a latest sign which highlights the influence Musk and his satellite service have in global conflicts across the globe.
In a message by the Iranian authorities on Sunday, the officials said that people should rely on news from the Mehr agency, which is affiliated with the security services.
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Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran. (AP Photo) 
