Who holds the off switch? It should be you

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Picture a connection you depend on, with an off switch you cannot reach. Someone else holds it, and you only find out when it is used.

That is roughly what happened to Ukraine’s military this month. On October 14, its Starlink terminals began losing connection above about 160 kilometers per hour, and Ukrainian officials say there was no warning.

Who ordered the cap is disputed. Reuters reported, citing two US officials and one Western official, that the order came from inside the White House. Elon Musk wrote that the military version of the network is owned and controlled by the US government, with limits decided by the US military and ultimately the president. Trump denies giving the order, and so does Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Reports also differ on whether the cap is still in place.

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Who holds the off switch? It should be you