Canadian Starlink users face low risk from U.S. interference

The U.S. government's potential ability to influence Starlink operations has raised questions about Washington's power over commercial users, including Canada's 500,000 subscribers, following reports of restricted Ukrainian access to the military-grade Starshield system. Starlink is SpaceX's commercial satellite internet network with over 11,000 satellites and 13 million subscribers, while Starshield is a separate, more secure military-grade system with about 250 satellites used by the U.S., UK, and Ukraine. The Pentagon covers Ukraine's Starshield fees, and Musk says the U.S. government owns and controls those systems. Experts say the U.S. has no direct control over commercial Starlink, though it can regulate through licensing and contracts. While Washington could technically disrupt service in regions like Canada, such moves would likely face resistance from operators, though the government could apply leverage to companies like SpaceX.