(Ken Silva, Headline USA) In September 2022, Elon Musk may have prevented a World War 3 when he instructed SpaceX employees to disable his Starlink internet service to prevent a Ukrainian attack on the Russian naval fleet in Crimea.
Now, a Ukrainian special interest group seeks to have the Federal Communications Commission remove internet spectrum assignments from Musk’s Starlink in retaliation. That group has gone as far as to accuse Musk of mental illness.
In a Wednesday filing to the FCC, The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America cited Musk’s prevention of the September 2022 Ukrainian attack as a reason Starlink should have a decreased share of the internet spectrum. UCCA’s filing was reportedly in response to SpaceX’s recent request to allow new entrants into the 1.6/2.4 GigaHertz (GHz) band.
“Musk has taken on the role of apologist for indicted war criminal Vladimir Putin … Elon Musk refused a Ukrainian request to activate his Starlink satellite network in Crimea’s port city of Sevastopol to aid an attack on Russia’s fleet,” the UCCA said in its filing.
“Disabling the Starlink service and allowing Ukrainian civilians to be murdered by Russian missiles is unconscionable.”
UCCA also accused Musk of providing Starlink to Russia’s military—an allegation that appears to be false. Russia has banned Starlink from the country—though black-market retailers have reportedly sold dozens of Starlink internet terminals, which have wound up with Russians on the front lines in Ukraine.
Additionally, UCCA cited Musk’s drug use, his interest in conspiracies and other factors as reasons why Starlink should be stripped of spectrum allotment.
“Musk’s erratic behavior, his penchant for conspiracy theories, his ill-considered antisemitic statement and drug use all point to an individual facing mental health challenges,” UCCA said.
“So much so, that the FCC needs to consider if Musk, as the controlling shareholder of SpaceX, has the basic qualifications and competence to remain an FCC licensee.”
UCCA called for a hearing “to determine if Musk is qualified to remain an FCC licensee.” Musk has not publicly responded to the filing, and the FCC has also yet to respond.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
