Fact check: Was Elon Musk’s Starlink used to rig the US election?

Did the tech billionaire really use satellite-based technology to ‘steal’ the election for Donald Trump? No – voting equipment is not typically connected to the internet.

Some social media users claim to have found an explanation for Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 election loss. They say billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink technology manipulated votes to benefit President-elect Donald Trump.

Starlink is an internet provider that uses satellites to provide connectivity; it’s a subsidiary of Musk’s commercial spaceflight company SpaceX.

“Musk’s Starlink uploaded votes in swing states,” one November 10 Threads post said. “Swing state voters went Dem downballot but Trump at the top? Unlikely. Starlink satellites exploding, destroying evidence.”

Starlink made headlines in recent weeks when the company distributed equipment to help people regain internet access in hurricane-hit areas. To some people, that move was furt​​her proof of the conspiracy.

“The Russians have access to Starlink terminals and therefore the satellites. The Russians are known hackers,” said another November 10 Threads post. “Elon Musk and the US gov. sent Starlink terminals to Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia due to the hurricanes.”