Technologist Waldo Jaquith, who has a lengthy history working in information technology for the federal government across multiple presidential administrations, is warning about a new scheme being hatched by billionaire Elon Musk.
Specifically, Jaquith responded to a report in the New York Times that Musk has been integrating his Starlink satellite system into the White House.
According to the Times, "the Starlink system is now said to be routed through a White House data center, with existing fiber cables, miles from the complex."
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Jaquith immediately raised security concerns about Musk integrating his own satellite-based internet service into the federal government.
"Hi, I'm the guy who used to oversee the federal government's agency IT telecommunications contracts," he wrote on BlueSky. "This is extremely bad. There is absolutely no need for this. Not only is it a huge security exposure, but the simplest explanation for this is that it is meant to be a security exposure."
The Times report notes that Starlink has been spreading throughout the federal government.
"In recent weeks, Starlink was also set up at the General Services Administration, which has served as a hub for Mr. Musk’s government-shrinking efforts, according to documents and people familiar with the service," writes the Times.