Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has set up his satellite-based “Starlink” service in Iran after protracted demonstrations there, after which the authorities imposed internet access restrictions. In response to large demonstrations following the murder of Mahsa Amini, 22, while in police custody, many Iranians’ connection to the internet was cut down on Wednesday, news agency ANI reported.
Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, had hinted on Friday that he will make Starlink available in Iran. Earlier, US State Secretary Antony Blinken announced on Twitter that the United States would advance internet freedom and the free flow of information for the Iranian people by issuing a General License to give them further access to digital communications in order to combat, what he claimed was the Iranian government’s censorship. Musk tweeted in response to Blinken’s post, “Activating Starlink…”
Activating Starlink …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 23, 2022
Protesters have been fighting for basic rights of freedom and organising rallies against clothing rules, such as the Hijab, which are required to be worn. Last weekend, after Mahsa Amini passed away following her detention by Iran’s morality police, protests broke out across the country. She passed only a few days after going into a coma while being held in custody for allegedly breaking a legislation relating to hijabs.
Notably, lawmakers from New York and New Jersey encouraged the US Treasury Department earlier this week to give their blessing if SpaceX requested a licence to provide internet service in Iran. According to Fox News, lawmakers, led by Tom Malinowski of New Jersey and Claudia Tenney of New York, allegedly submitted the request to the Treasury Department. Musk tweeted on Monday that SpaceX will ask for an exception to the country’s sanctions, and that’s when the letter surfaced. Starlink has already been used by SpaceX in emergency situations, including in Ukraine during a Russian invasion and the Tonga islands in the South Pacific following a volcano eruption.
