SpaceX’s Starlink satellite Internet service has a lot of valuable uses, one of the biggest being the ability to easily and quickly bring Internet connectivity to remote areas. Unfortunately, that appears to also be one of its downsides.
The Associated Press recently found that Starlink terminals are being used to aid illegal mining operations in parts of the Amazon in Brazil. Over the last five weeks, Brazilian officials have seized seven Starlink terminals discovered at illegal mining sites in Yanomami land, the country’s largest indigenous region.
“This technology is extremely fast and really improves the ability to manage an illegal mine,” said Hugo Loss, operations coordinator for Brazil’s environment agency. “You can manage hundreds of mining sites without ever setting foot in one.” Starlink did not respond to the AP’s requests for comment.
