Senator demands Musk's Starlink explain allegations it's being used by scammers

Driving the news: In a letter to Musk, the senator asked for information about SpaceX's efforts to prevent the alleged misuse of Starlink.

• "While SpaceX has stated that it investigates and deactivates Starlink devices in various contexts, it seemingly has not publicly acknowledged the use of Starlink for scams originating in Southeast Asia — or publicly discussed actions the company has taken in response," Hassan wrote.
• "Scam networks in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, however, have apparently continued to use Starlink despite service rules permitting SpaceX to terminate access for fraudulent activity."
• Hassan, who is on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, requested answers by Aug. 18 about whether SpaceX was aware scammers were using Starlink and if so, when they first learned about it and what they're doing about the issue.

What they're saying: The senator said in a post on X that SpaceX "has a responsibility to block these criminals from using Starlink to target Americans."

• SpaceX did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Go deeper: Musk: SpaceX, Starlink use "basically" no AI