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SpaceX is cracking down on Starlink dish sales in countries where it doesn’t have an official presence.
The company recently sent emails to authorized Starlink resellers about revising the terms and conditions for offering the satellite internet service. SpaceX is now banning them from shipping Starlink hardware to countries where it doesn’t operate, even for display purposes, unless they get permission from SpaceX.
Starlink’s terms of service already had a clause for customers about complying with export control laws and only using the satellite internet service in authorized areas. But it’s possible third-party resellers played a significant role in fueling Starlink sales in unofficial markets, hence the clampdown. SpaceX currently lists nearly 130 authorized Starlink resellers.
SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Although Starlink is available in over 150 markets, it’s still waiting for regulatory approval elsewhere. It will likely never launch in regions like China and Russia, partly because of its ability to circumvent online censorship.
The satellite internet service excels at delivering high-speed broadband to rural and remote areas, including the frontlines of the Ukraine war. In 2022, the US also greenlit Starlink service for Iran after the country’s government moved to heavily censor the internet. But at the same time, bad actors have abused the satellite internet system.
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Myanmar scam compound with multiple Starlink dishes on the roof. (Credit: Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images)
Last month, SpaceX touted disabling over 2,500 Starlink dishes in Myanmar, where organized crime has been exploiting the satellite internet service to conduct online scams across the globe. The Ukrainian government has also raised alarm bells about Russian soldiers using Starlink in occupied areas of Ukraine to receive satellite internet access.
Meanwhile, Iran has complained to the United Nations and the International Telecommunication Union about unsanctioned Starlink activity within the country, and demanded it be shut down.
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About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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