EXPOSED: How Starlink Satellite Internet Became a Tool for Illegal Amazon Mining — And Brazil’s Attempt to Rein It In

Brazil’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office has struck a groundbreaking deal with Elon Musk’s satellite internet provider, Starlink, aiming to curb its exploitation by criminal networks illegally mining the Amazon rainforest.Starlink, launched by Musk’s SpaceX to bring high-speed connectivity to remote areas, has rapidly spread through the vast and previously disconnected Amazon region. While promising connectivity improvements for isolated communities, it has also become a powerful tool enabling lawlessness.Illegal gold mining operations—long a bane of Brazil's environmental and Indigenous policies—have leveraged Starlink's fast, mobile internet to coordinate logistics, communicate in real time about police raids, and manage payments swiftly. This digital advantage...