SpaceX’s Starlink Is A Lifeline Amid Iran Protest Internet Blackouts

The Iranian government’s draconian measures to stifle dissent have led to a national internet blackout, now in its second week, leaving citizens desperate for a line to the outside world. In this void, SpaceX’s Starlink has emerged as a crucial, if precarious, connection to reality. For those opposing the regime, protests have been a mainstay of their resistance, with gatherings taking place across Iran for the last three weeks.

The government’s response has been to throttle internet and phone access, a tactic that Human Rights Watch has criticized for helping the regime “conceal widespread atrocities.” Against this backdrop, Starlink has become a beacon of hope, with many Iranians turning to the satellite internet service as their only viable means of accessing the global network.

A video, verified by NBC News, shows a man in a car on an Iranian highway, using a Starlink device to scroll through Instagram and test his internet connection speed. However, this tenuous line has not gone unnoticed by the authorities. Iran’s government has launched a cat-and-mouse game, deploying new tactics to disrupt or slow down Starlink connections, while activists and SpaceX, under Elon Musk’s helm, strive to outmaneuver them.