President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has raised serious national security concerns regarding the initial agreement with Starlink, highlighting the government’s lack of access to crucial data as a major weakness.
He emphasized that this limitation contrasts sharply with the cooperation currently provided by Sri Lanka’s existing telecommunications companies, which allow data access with proper approval.
The President stressed the importance of data access in preventing criminal activity. He cited recent successes, such as stopping an attack in Arugambay and arresting suspects involved in a court shooting, both made possible through access to telephone network data.
However, the Starlink agreement poses a challenge in this area. “Under the Starlink agreement, the government does not have authority to access their data systems,” the President explained. “But the telecom companies already operating in Sri Lanka provide us with access when needed.” He also noted the absence of a local point of contact for Starlink-related issues, stating, “There is no one responsible in Sri Lanka for this matter.”
While discussions with Starlink are ongoing, and the company has promised to provide a data access dashboard, the President expressed skepticism about its effectiveness. “They promised a dashboard, but we don’t yet know how much data we’ll be able to access through it,” he said. Despite this, the government has supported the import of equipment required to establish the system.
The President warned that the full extent of data access limitations will only be understood once Starlink begins operations in the country. He insisted that data access should have been a key component of the original agreement, especially given its importance to national security.
These concerns have also been echoed by Sri Lanka’s national security council, which discussed the potential risks in several meetings. The President further pointed out that in other countries, like India, Starlink has local offices and staff that facilitate government access to data—something Sri Lanka currently lacks.
