Elon Musk said SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband service won’t block Russian news sources “unless at gunpoint” and apologized for being a “free speech absolutist.”
In a tweet (it’s always a tweet), Musk claimed some governments asked Starlink to block Russian news sources. Musk didn’t say which governments but noted the request didn’t come from Ukraine.
Starlink has been told by some governments (not Ukraine) to block Russian news sources. We will not do so unless at gunpoint.
Sorry to be a free speech absolutist.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 5, 2022
It’s an interesting stance to take considering Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent crackdown on media outlets that share information contrary to the Russian government’s narrative about the invasion. Those who do could face prison sentences of up to 15 years.
Musk’s claim to be a “free speech absolutist” is especially interesting given his track record of harassing people who disagree with him, not to mention his repeated efforts to bust unions at Tesla.
Oh, and who could forget when Musk compared Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Adolf Hitler. Yea, definitely the person I want championing free speech.
Musk’s stance puts SpaceX at odds with the growing list of tech companies taking action against Russia following its illegal invasion of Ukraine. It also comes after Musk tweeted excessively about efforts to deploy Starlink in Ukraine to help keep the country connected amid the invasion.
SpaceX reprioritized to cyber defense & overcoming signal jamming.
Will cause slight delays in Starship & Starlink V2.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 5, 2022
On that note, Musk also tweeted that SpaceX would reprioritize “to cyber defense & overcoming signal jamming,” which would cause “slight delays in Starship & Starlink V2.”
