SpaceX discontinued its Global Roam service for existing customers as of Monday. The US company offered no specific reason beyond regulatory compliance, but few would question the move, given the need to clamp down on the increasing number of cybercrime networks that tap into its Starlink services globally.Yet in Myanmar, the Starlink move is a double-edged sword.The country’s civil conflict has cut many people off from conventional digital communications. For conflict-affected communities, SpaceX’s decision could mean being disconnected from the internet.The move thus risks reinforcing the long-standing strategy of Myanmar’s military – and the current military-backed regime – governing through information control and the disruption of humanitarian services. The regime’s head recently noted that Starlink connections were being used by the online scam industry.What he failed to mention was that many parts of Myanmar, including those held by anti-government forces, rely on Starlink to access the internet. Nearly 40 per cent of Myanmar’s townships now experience intermittent or total internet shutdowns every month.A man uses his mobile phone while sheltering from the rain in Yangon on August 11. Millions of people in Myanmar rely on Starlink for internet access. Photo: AFPSince the 2021 coup, the military has weaponised internet access, imposing mobile-network shutdowns and internet blackouts in conflict-ridden areas across the country. As the ensuing civil war has damaged telecommunications infrastructure, communities have been further isolated.