Senator demands Musk's Starlink explain allegations it's being used by scammers
The big picture: The senator in her letter cited media, UN and Treasury Department reports saying the satellite-communications network is being misused by transnational criminal groups to scam Americans.
Driving the news: In a letter to Musk, the senator asked for information about SpaceX's efforts to prevent the alleged misuse of Starlink.
"While SpaceX has stated that it investigates and deactivates Starlink devices in various contexts, it seemingly has not publicly acknowledged the use of Starlink for scams originating in Southeast Asia — or publicly discussed actions the company has taken in response," Hassan wrote.
"Scam networks in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, however, have apparently continued to use Starlink despite service rules permitting SpaceX to terminate access for fraudulent activity."
Hassan, who is on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, requested answers by Aug. 18 about whether SpaceX was aware scammers were using Starlink and if so, when they first learned about it and what they're doing about the issue.
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