SpaceX has deactivated more than 2,000 Starlink satellite internet devices found to be operating in scam compounds across Myanmar, following increasing pressure from politicians and anti-human trafficking advocates.

Lauren Dreyer, vice president of Starlink’s on Wednesday(October 22), after AFP revealed that the use of the satellite internet terminals had exploded in the illicit industry business operations. Besides announced on X that the company had “proactively identified and disabled over 2,500 Starlink Kits” located near suspected scam centers in Myanmar. She said the move reflects SpaceX’s commitment to enforcing its policies and cooperating with law enforcement agencies worldwide. 

The exact timing of the disconnections remains unclear, and SpaceX has not responded to requests for further comment.

For months, rights groups and anti-trafficking activists have accused Starlink of inadvertently enabling cybercrime and human trafficking networks in Southeast Asia. Investigations earlier this year revealed that Starlink was being used in multiple compounds near the Thai border, where criminal gangs operate large-scale online fraud schemes.

Authorities in Thailand and Myanmar have launched several crackdowns targeting these scam hubs. Earlier this week, Myanmar’s government announced a major raid at the KK Park compound near Myawaddy, arresting more than 2,000 people and seizing dozens of Starlink devices.

In previous months, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan and Thai lawmaker Rangsiman Rome publicly urged Elon Musk and SpaceX to take stronger action to prevent Starlink’s misuse. Rome claimed cybercriminals in the region were responsible for more than 60 billion dollars in global economic losses annually, according to a 2024 report by the U.S. Institute of Peace.

Despite repeated raids, scam operations continue to flourish across Myanmar’s border regions, with ongoing construction of new compounds even after enforcement actions. A China-led crackdown in 2023 on similar operations in the Kokang region led to the conviction and death sentences of key figures from the Ming crime family.

SpaceX’s latest action marks one of the most significant corporate interventions yet in the fight against Southeast Asia’s sprawling cyber-scam networks.

BOB Post