SpaceX Cuts Starlink Access to 2,500 Myanmar Scam Terminals

SpaceX has disabled more than 2,500 Starlink satellite internet terminals operating at scam compounds in Myanmar, the company confirmed on Wednesday, following revelations that the devices were fuelling a booming black market industry along the country’s lawless border.

The announcement, made by Lauren Dreyer, vice-president of Starlink business operations, comes after an AFP investigation exposed the widespread use of Starlink kits at scam centres in Myanmar. These compounds, often run by transnational crime syndicates, have flourished amid the chaos of the country’s civil war, which erupted after the 2021 military coup.

Many of the centres, particularly in Kayin State near the Thai border, had turned to Starlink to maintain internet access after Thailand severed cross-border connections earlier this year. The satellite terminals allowed operators to continue running online scams targeting foreign victims with romance and investment fraud.

Myanmar’s military this week raided KK Park—one of the most notorious scam hubs—and seized 30 Starlink units. However, independent analysts and AFP reporting suggest that this represents only a fraction of the devices in use. Eyewitnesses described hundreds fleeing the site on foot, motorbikes, and packed trucks as the crackdown unfolded.

The scam centres have become a lucrative pillar of Myanmar’s wartime economy, with the junta relying on allied militias to control border zones in exchange for a cut of the illicit profits. Analysts say this has left the military balancing between appeasing China—whose citizens have been both perpetrators and victims of the scams—and maintaining its grip on power through militia support.

Beijing has pushed hard for action, particularly after high-profile cases of Chinese nationals being trafficked into scam operations. While the junta has made public gestures of enforcement, critics argue these are largely symbolic.

“The junta is walking a tightrope,” said Nathan Ruser of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. “They’re under pressure from China, but also dependent on the very groups running these centres.”

As Myanmar’s conflict grinds on, the crackdown on scam networks—and the technology that enables them—has become a flashpoint in a murky war economy with global implications.

-2025-10-23