Elon Musk received a request from China not to market Starlink there

October 11, 2022 By Jozeph P

(Image Credit Google)

Elon Musk disclosed last week in an interview with the Financial Times that representatives of the Chinese government had requested him directly to deny Starlink access inside China. Musk told FT that Beijing "had made explicit its distaste of his recent rollout of Starlink...in Ukraine" and "sought guarantees he would not sell Starlink in China," as stated in the publication's summary. Whether Musk complied with Beijing's request is not evident from the description, but Starlink's service map indicates that no deployments are scheduled in China. The status of neighboring nations including Taiwan, Mongolia, and Vietnam is "waiting for regulatory approval." Starlink is a well-liked solution for evading network-based censorship since it provides an internet connection that avoids traditional service providers. Elon Musk is thinking about how to assist Ukraine, and he announced his plan to the public over the weekend. One of his services, Starlink, is already operational there.

Elon Musk is thinking about how to assist Ukraine, and he announced his plan to the public over the weekend. One of his services, Starlink, is already operational there.

In reaction to intense censorship and recent nationwide protests, Starlink most recently made access possible in Iran. However, internet censorship in China is much more systematic and pervasive, and any further attempt to get around it by using Starlink would probably result in punishment from the central government. The story serves as a reminder of how vulnerable Musk is to external forces despite his vocal advocacy of free speech values. As the Financial Times notes, Tesla keeps a facility there and has reportedly sold more than 80,000 vehicles in China. As a result, Musk has continued to support the Chinese government in general and has even written a column for a publication sponsored by the nation's internet censorship agency. In addition, Musk is more likely than ever to acquire Twitter. Musk recommitted last week to buy the social network at his initial agreed-upon price after months of perplexing gamesmanship, telling the judge in his civil lawsuit with the firm that he thinks the acquisition will close before October 28.

By Jozeph P

Journalism explorer, tech Enthusiast. Love to read and write.

Elon Musk received a request from China not to market Starlink there

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