Activists urge Elon Musk to drop 'hefty' monthly subscription fee after he activated Starlink for 90,000,000 Iranians
Things are looking increasingly grave in the Middle East, and as Iran and Israel continue to exchange missiles in a bloody war of tech, there are questions about whether the likes of Europe and the USA are going to step in, and which side they'll ally with.
While we've already been warned we were amid World War III without knowing it, one of Vladimir Putin's generals has thrown fuel on the fire by asking the Russian President to mobilize one million troops.
Elsewhere, President Donald Trump is said to have left Canada's G7 summit early as things escalate between Iran and Israel. Being unusually quiet on the situation (for once) is Elon Musk, who might still be licking his wounds following an explosive falling out with the POTUS. Musk's timeline is full of all his usual promotion of Tesla, also hyping his Starlink expansion.
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Musk recently activated Starlink in Iran, giving its 90,000,000 residents access to the internet in a time when restrictions have led to a blackout. The world's richest man said, "The beams are on," as he brought the World Wide Web back to the country.
While it might seem like the tech billionaire is doing good and bringing communications to Iran's citizens in a time of global panic, one petition is calling for him to do more.
It's all well and good to activate Starlink in Iran, but with it boasting a hefty monthly subscription cost, many simply can't afford it.
The Ekō petition is titled "Elon Musk: Keep your word to the Iranian people" and calls for him to drop Starlink's $110 monthly fee for Iranians.
Saying that the Iranian people are facing "mass arrests, the execution of protesters, and internet blackouts plummeting an entire nation into darkness," the petition wants Musk to remove the fee because even those who could afford the $110 don't have access to a credit card to pay it.
Saying that enough people joining the cause will lead to an advocacy and media blitz targeting Musk, the petition adds: "Elon wants to take credit for connecting the Iranian people, but he is opting for optics over substance.
"A shadow web could be effective in Iran with as few as 5,000 Starlink dishes. The least Elon should do is to waive Starlink’s monthly subscription fees in Iran."
Saying that Musk removed fees in Ukraine when it was under siege from Russia, the page accuses the government of trying to "disconnect the Iranian people from the global internet completely" for its own benefit.
It ends with a grim warning, saying: "Under the cover of darkness, it [the Iranian government] uses violence and isolation to break people’s spirits and to crush their efforts to build a more free and just society.”
Over to you, Mr. Musk.