The government of Iran has blocked nearly all internet access across the nation amid ongoing protests following the death of a 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody.
Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk has deployed his satellite-based internet service – Starlink in Iran amid restricted internet services in the nation due to widespread protests.
Following the Iran government’s crackdown on internet services, the United States Secretary Antony Blinken tweeted on Friday, “We took action today to advance Internet freedom and the free flow of information for the Iranian people, issuing a General License to provide them greater access to digital communications to counter the Iranian government’s censorship.”
To this, Musk replied, “Activating Starlink.”
The government of the Middle-East country has blocked nearly all internet access across the nation amid ongoing protests following the death of a 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who is believed to have been killed in police custody for not wearing the headscarf, commonly known as hijab, properly. The incident incited widespread unrest in the country and protestors demanded basic rights of freedom and demonstrated against mandatory dress code including wearing hijab.
This is not the first time Musk deployed his satellite broadband service in a nation dealing with unrest. Previously, the business tycoon had expanded the service to war-struck Ukraine after its Russian invasion in late February. Musk’s expansion can be seen as a move towards the company’s expectation to be available across the globe by year-end.
