Starlink Service Restrictions in Myanmar Threaten Critical Civilian Access While Failing to Address Root Causes of Cybercrime
- Myanmar Internet Project
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Approximately 80 of Myanmar's 330 cities, millions of people, lack access to conventional internet services due to armed conflict and deliberate shutdowns by the military junta. In these areas, low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite services, primarily Starlink, have become the only viable means of accessing critical, life-saving information about military operations and airstrikes.
Recent service restrictions are now cutting off this essential civilian communication channel based on concerns about cybercrime syndicates—a policy approach that Myanmar Internet Project characterizes as both ineffective and harmful to vulnerable populations.
Scam Centers Existed Before Starlink
Cyber-scam operations in the region predate Starlink's beta testing phase in October 2020 and commercial launch in late 2021. The structural drivers of transnational cybercrime in Southeast Asia—including lack of economic opportunity, weak governance and rule of law, human trafficking networks, and inherent vulnerabilities in digital systems—remain unaffected by satellite internet availability.
No empirical evidence supports a causal relationship between Starlink access and increased cybercrime activity. The hypothesis that service bans will meaningfully reduce online scamming operations lacks both historical and logical foundation.
Civilians Bear the Cost, Scammers Find Alternatives
Service restrictions impose vastly different burdens on civilian populations versus criminal enterprises. Well-resourced scam syndicates can rapidly deploy alternative connectivity solutions, while ordinary civilians—including small business operators providing community internet access—have no feasible alternatives.
In Karenni State, where no scam operations have been documented, humanitarian organizations report that medical facilities using Starlink equipment have already lost connectivity. This demonstrates the immediate humanitarian cost of broad-based service denial.
Target Scam Locations, Not Entire Regions
The geographic locations of known cybercrime compounds have been extensively documented through open-source intelligence, satellite imagery analysis, and investigative reporting. SpaceX has the technical capability to implement precise, location-based service restrictions targeting these specific facilities.
A targeted approach would:
Directly address documented criminal operations
Preserve essential civilian access to information and communication
Avoid foreseeable humanitarian harm in conflict-affected areas
Demonstrate responsible platform governance
Myanmar Internet Project urges SpaceX to implement a granular remediation framework based on verified location data rather than broad service blackouts that disproportionately harm civilian populations while providing only minimal, temporary impediments to well-funded criminal operations.
Recommended Citation Style - Myanmar Internet Project(2025, December 2)၊
Starlink Service Restrictions in Myanmar Threaten Critical Civilian Access While Failing to Address Root Causes of Cybercrime,
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