Witness at confirmation hearings offers Starlink device, says Iranian regime fears open communications

A witness at the 2025 Confirmation Hearings Collection said the Iranian regime is "especially afraid" when its citizens gain access to uncensored communications and described Starlink as a means to bypass state censorship. "This is a communications device Starlink that allows people to access truth, to exercise choice, to exercise freedom of thought and freedom of speech," the witness said.

The speaker claimed that Tehran spends "millions and billions of dollars censoring the internet," presenting the spending claim without offering supporting evidence during the exchange. Addressing the presiding officer as "Mr. President," the witness said he would leave the device with the presiding officer so it could be given to members of an Iranian delegation should they "inevitably defect," allowing them, in his words, "to freely tell their story on social media." The transcript records no response from the panel and provides no identifying information about the speaker.

The remarks were delivered as part of the public testimony during the hearings; the transcript does not record any formal motion, vote, or staff follow-up tied to the offer or the claims about censorship spending. The hearing record in the provided transcript does not identify the witness by name, affiliation, or title beyond the role of a witness, and it does not document verification of the spending figures cited.