Ukrainian officials disputed Elon Musk's claim that the military violated Starlink terms
Ukrainian officials disputed SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's claim that Ukraine's military violated Starlink's terms of service. Musk said using civilian Starlink for offensive drone strikes was never permitted, while Starshield is a separate system controlled by the U.S. government. Ukrainian officials said both systems had returned to previous operating speeds. Technology journalist Kara Swisher renewed her criticism of Musk.
More context
Ukrainian officials disputed SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's claim that the country's military violated Starlink's terms of service. Musk said on Oct. 24 that using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people had never been allowed. He described Starshield as a separate system controlled by the U.S. government and said decisions about its use were up to that government. Ukrainian officials said Starlink and Starshield had returned to their previous operating speeds after restrictions limited military use. On Threads, Swisher again criticized Musk, writing, “So he lied like we said he did,” after sharing a CBS News report. Swisher had also criticized him following a Wall Street Journal report on Oct. 20.
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Verifier’s note
IBTimes UK reports reactions to Musk’s defense of Starlink restrictions, while the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette directly reports Ukraine disputing his terms-of-service claim. KFBK reports that the systems were restored after restrictions on military use, consistent with the same ongoing dispute.