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Media and Communications Committee on Starlink: Lebanon needs technological progress, but not at the expense of its security

Lebanon's parliamentary Media and Communications Committee raised serious legal and procedural concerns over a proposed license for SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service. Committee chair MP Ibrahim Mousawi and rapporteur MP Yassine Yassine said discussions with the telecom minister and officials from regulatory and oversight bodies revealed "major constitutional and legal violations." These include bypassing Parliament's authority to grant natural resource concessions, ignoring public procurement laws, sidelining the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, and failing to ensure data sovereignty. The committee also noted the absence of feasibility studies, market impact assessments, or competitive comparisons to protect state revenue and maintain fair competition with local internet providers. It recommended halting the project in its current form, conducting full financial, technical, and legal evaluations, and ensuring the process follows Lebanon's procurement laws. Members warned that the current proposal 'is not a benign technical step' but a move that could erode regulatory safeguards and national control over the telecom sector. They stressed that Lebanon needs technological progress, but 'not at the expense of its security, sovereignty, and public interest."