Iranians Use Musk’s Starlink to Bypass Internet Blackout Amid Protest Crackdown

/in /tarafından

Some Iranians are continuing to access the internet through Starlink, the satellite-based network operated by Elon Musk, despite a near-total nationwide communications blackout imposed by authorities, according to people inside the country.

Iranian officials have in recent days launched a deadly crackdown on nationwide protests, accompanied by widespread internet shutdowns affecting fiber-optic and mobile networks. However, Starlink—which delivers connectivity directly from thousands of low-Earth orbit satellites—remains operational in some parts of Iran, despite being officially banned.

Three Starlink users inside Iran told Reuters that the service was still functioning in certain locations. One user in western Iran said dozens of people in his area were using Starlink and that access in border towns and cities appeared largely unaffected.

Alp Toker, founder of internet monitoring group NetBlocks, said he had also received reports of continued Starlink access, though at reduced levels. “It is patchy, but still there,” he said. According to NetBlocks data, the broader internet blackout that began on January 8 continued on Monday, with non-satellite connectivity operating at roughly 1% of normal levels.

Picture background

It remains unclear how Iranian authorities are attempting to disrupt Starlink’s service. Some specialists said any interference could involve jamming Starlink terminals by overpowering their ability to receive satellite signals. SpaceX, which owns Starlink, did not respond to requests for comment. Iranian authorities were also unreachable due to phone and internet outages.

CRITICAL TOOL AMID GLOBAL CONFLICTS
Starlink’s role in Iran highlights the growing influence of Musk’s satellite internet network in global conflicts and political unrest. The service has been a critical communications tool for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, and has also been used in countries such as Myanmar and Sudan, where authorities have repeatedly imposed internet shutdowns.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he plans to speak with Musk about restoring internet access in Iran, without explicitly referencing Starlink.

Musk previously shipped free Starlink terminals to Ukraine and offered complimentary service there. By contrast, standard Starlink terminals typically cost about $599, plus a monthly subscription fee, putting them out of reach for many Iranians.

Starlink is not licensed to operate in Iran, but Musk has previously said the service is active there. In December 2022, he wrote on his social media platform X that the company was “approaching 100 Starlinks active in Iran,” a small number relative to the country’s population of roughly 92 million. In June last year, responding to calls for Starlink access to Iran, Musk posted simply: “beams are on.”

Following a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel in June, Iran’s parliament passed legislation formally banning Starlink and imposing severe penalties for using or distributing the unlicensed technology, according to state media. Despite those restrictions, the continued use of Starlink underscores how satellite internet has become a powerful, if uneven, tool for bypassing state-imposed information controls.

Former Trump Adviser Dina Powell McCormick Appointed Meta President and Vice Chairman

/in /tarafından

Meta Platforms on Monday named former Trump administration official Dina Powell McCormick as its president and vice chairman, a move widely seen as strengthening the company’s lobbying and political ties in Washington.

U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated Powell McCormick shortly after the announcement in a post on Truth Social, calling her “fantastic” and praising her service in his administration with “strength and distinction.”

Her appointment comes amid a broader strategic realignment at Meta that has brought the company closer to Trump and Republican leadership. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has been seeking political backing for Meta’s expanding investments in frontier artificial intelligence and so-called personal superintelligence, including plans to build massive data centers and secure long-term energy capacity. Ahead of Trump’s second inauguration, Zuckerberg visited him at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Over the past year, Meta has taken several steps that have appealed to Trump, including scrapping its U.S. fact-checking program, promoting Republican executive Joel Kaplan to chief global affairs officer, ending diversity programs, and hiring former Trump trade adviser C.J. Mahoney to lead its legal team. Meta declined to say whether Powell McCormick’s appointment was intended to curry favor with Trump.

Dina Powell McCormick Joins Meta as President and Vice Chairman

According to the company, Powell McCormick will focus on expanding Meta’s data center footprint, building new strategic capital partnerships, and increasing the firm’s long-term investment capacity—areas critical to its AI ambitions. Meta has committed up to $72 billion in capital spending for 2025 as it works to regain momentum in Silicon Valley’s AI race after a muted reception to its Llama 4 model.

Powell McCormick brings extensive experience in both finance and government. She spent 16 years in senior leadership roles at Goldman Sachs, served as deputy national security adviser during Trump’s first term, and previously held a senior White House advisory role under former President George W. Bush. She is married to David McCormick, a Republican senator from Pennsylvania who chairs a Senate subcommittee overseeing energy policy—an area relevant to Meta’s data center expansion.

A spokesperson for Senator McCormick said he will continue to comply with all Senate ethics rules. However, critics raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest. Sacha Haworth, executive director of the Tech Oversight Project, said the senator should recuse himself from any votes or committee actions involving Meta’s business.

Powell McCormick’s new role echoes the influence once wielded by former Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, who used deep ties to Washington and the Democratic Party to help Meta navigate regulatory scrutiny. Notably, Powell McCormick had resigned from Meta’s board in December, just eight months after joining, before being elevated to her new executive position.

Uber Faces Arizona Sexual Assault Trial That Could Test Liability and Safety Claims

/in /tarafından

Uber is set to face trial this week in Phoenix, Arizona, in a lawsuit brought by an Oklahoma woman who says she was sexually assaulted by a driver she booked through the app. The case is expected to be the first major test of Uber’s legal strategy to limit liability for alleged assaults committed by drivers using its platform, as thousands of similar lawsuits move through U.S. courts.

The plaintiff, Jaylynn Dean, sued Uber in 2023, about a month after the alleged assault occurred in Arizona. In her complaint, Dean said Uber was aware of widespread reports of sexual assaults involving its drivers but failed to take basic steps to improve rider safety. Allegations over passenger safety have followed the company for years, drawing repeated media attention and scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers.

Uber is currently facing more than 3,000 lawsuits over similar claims that have been consolidated in U.S. federal court. Dean’s case is considered a “bellwether” trial, meaning its outcome could influence how the remaining cases are valued and whether the litigation is resolved through a broad settlement. Legal analysts say an adverse verdict could weigh on Uber’s balance sheet and further complicate its relationships with regulators and investors who closely monitor its safety record.

Uber has argued it should not be held responsible for criminal acts committed by drivers, emphasizing that drivers are independent contractors and that such conduct falls outside the scope of their duties. The company says its background checks, safety disclosures and in-app protections are sufficient, regardless of driver classification.

In a statement ahead of the trial, Uber said it takes every report of sexual assault seriously and continues to invest in technology aimed at preventing harm. “Safety is foundational at Uber, and our commitment to help protect people on the platform will never stop,” a company spokesperson said.

According to the lawsuit, Dean was intoxicated when she booked an Uber ride from her boyfriend’s home to her hotel. She alleges the driver asked harassing questions during the trip before stopping the car and raping her. Representatives for Dean declined to comment ahead of the trial.

Beyond the federal cases, Uber also faces more than 500 similar lawsuits in California state court. The company won the only trial to reach a verdict so far, when a California jury found Uber negligent in its safety measures but ruled that negligence was not a substantial factor in causing harm.

In recent years, Uber has sought to reposition itself as a safety-focused platform, publishing U.S. Safety Reports, introducing features such as in-app ride verification, audio and video recording, and anomaly detection, and working with survivor advocacy groups on driver training reforms. Rival Lyft is facing similar lawsuits, though without a coordinated federal case.

Uber unsuccessfully attempted to delay Dean’s trial, arguing that her attorneys tainted the jury pool through an advertising campaign. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, who is overseeing the broader litigation and will preside over this case, denied the request, allowing the trial to proceed.