Elon Musk's Starlink was installed on the White House roof—Dems say it may ‘undermine national security' by exposing sensitive data to hackers

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2 days ago

Despite warnings from White House security and communications experts, Elon Musk's DOGE team installed a Starlink satellite internet system at the White House, sparking a confrontation with the Secret Service. Lawmakers and security professionals are concerned that the setup could undermine national security and expose sensitive White House communications.
Elon Musk's DOGE team reportedly installed a Starlink satellite internet system in the White House despite the objections of government security experts.
According to the Washington Post, White House communications experts reportedly raised concerns over the installation of the satellite internet system, citing national security.
At the time, the installation also reportedly sparked a confrontation between DOGE employees and the Secret Service.
Staffers from Musk's DOGE team set up the Starlink terminal on the roof of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in February without informing White House communications teams.
This setup allowed internet access through Starlink without standard tracking or authentication safeguards, three people told the Washington Post, potentially exposing the White House to data leaks or hacking.
Unlike other government Wi-Fi systems, the 'Starlink Guest' Wi-Fi required only a password rather than the usual username or two-factor authentication. Such a connection could allow devices to bypass security, evade monitoring, and transmit untracked data, according to the report.
It is unclear if the Starlink terminal is still installed at the White House following Musk's exit and public rift with Donald Trump, but the satellite internet system has also reportedly been used at other government agencies.
Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment made by Fortune.
However, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told the Washington Post: 'We were aware of DOGE's intentions to improve internet access on the campus and did not consider this matter a security incident or security breach.'
Starlink's satellite connections are generally considered more difficult to hack than traditional U.S. telecommunications networks, which have been compromised by foreign adversaries in the past.
However, this added layer of security does not address the core issue: the inability to monitor or control data leaving the White House.
Sources told the Post that any added security from satellite connections does not solve the issue of monitoring restricted data leaving the premises.
The lack of logging and authentication means that malicious software could enter the building undetected, posing an even greater risk than data leaks.
The controversy has drawn the attention of lawmakers.
Democrats on the House oversight committee have raised the alarm about the Trump administration's use of Starlink at the White House and across government agencies.
'Brave whistleblowers have shared concerning and vital information with the Committee, and we are pursuing multiple investigations,' said Stephen F. Lynch, the committee's acting top Democrat. 'It could have the potential to undermine our national security by exposing sensitive data and information to hackers, our adversaries, or those wishing to do Americans harm.'
Democratic senators have previously criticized the potential conflict of interest between Musk's role at SpaceX and in the government.
Last month, in a letter to President Trump, 13 Democratic senators accused the tech mogul of potentially leveraging his government role to secure lucrative private contracts for Starlink, his satellite internet venture, in foreign markets.
The senators urged Trump to launch an investigation into the deals and to make the findings public.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com