10/27/25, 11:16 AM U.S. Congress Starlink investigation threatens internet access in Myanmar - Human Rights Myanmar service from Myanmar would aid the military’s internet shutdowns and foreseeably endanger the lives of civilians, journalists, and human rights defenders, representing a failure of this responsibility. If SpaceX was ever to consider closing down access to users in Myanmar, a responsible approach would require the mitigation of these harms. Why a blunt ban would be ineffective A “ban” urged by the U.S. Congress or a technological block unilaterally imposed by SpaceX would not only be disproportionate but also ineffective against the stated objective. The transnational criminal syndicates running the scam centres are multi-billion-dollar enterprises with the financial resources to adapt to bans by either relocating their operations to other lawless areas in Myanmar or neighbouring countries or by switching to alternative technologies from other satellite internet providers. In contrast, Myanmar communities, including the pro-democracy movement, have no viable, low-cost, portable alternative to Starlink. A blunt ban would therefore primarily punish the vulnerable while only temporarily inconveniencing the criminals. A standards-compliant approach balances the human rights abuses in scam centres with the fundamental rights of the people of Myanmar. Under the UNGPs, SpaceX has a responsibility to find the narrowest means to meet its obligations. This requires a thorough and conflict-sensitive human rights due diligence process to assess all potential actions and their impacts before a decision is made. This process must evaluate all available tools, including technical options like targeted geofencing, to determine the most proportional response. Focus on the military coup, not technology https://humanrightsmyanmar.org/us-congress-starlink-investigation-threatens-internet-access-in-myanmar/ 4/7