Musk's Starlink Terminals Sold on the Global Black Market

American entrepreneur Elon Musk's SpaceX company Starlink internet terminals can be purchased illegally in many parts of the world where they are not officially sold or operational. This was reported by Bloomberg, referencing its sources. The information was relayed by RIA Novosti.

“The investigation ... uncovered numerous instances of illegal sales and activation of Starlink kits. The way they are smuggled and Starlink's apparent availability on the black market indicates that their malicious use is a systemic global issue,” the agency writes, citing the findings of its own investigation.

According to unnamed Western diplomats, Starlink terminals can be bought in Sudan, where they are notably used by rapid response forces opposing the government army. According to the agency, Sudanese businessmen are registering the terminals in Dubai, from where they are flown to Uganda, from which Starlink kits reach northern Sudan via overland routes.

Additionally, the terminals are sold in Venezuela, which is under US sanctions, despite the internet coverage map indicating that Starlink does not operate in the country, Bloomberg writes.

In South Africa, the authorities have yet to confirm the use of Musk's internet. However, the trade of Starlink is “thriving” on social media groups, where sellers offer packages activated in neighboring Mozambique, where their use is legal.

Even if SpaceX blocks illegally activated terminals, businessmen re-register them in third countries and re-activate them. According to a former U.S. government official, the Biden administration may tighten export controls to ensure that Musk’s terminals “do not fall into the hands of America's enemies.”