UPDATED: Snopes implies sub comms failure due to Starlink/Elon Musk (Snopes reverses course!)

UPDATE: Snopes has completely reversed itself, proving that “fact-checkers” are about as good as you would expect.

How much do they hate Elon Musk?

Enough to suggest that the OceanGate submersible for which everybody is desperately searching may have lost communications with the surface due to his internet provider Starlink.

The obvious answer is “No!” The company might be, but the submersible? That is literally impossible, given physics. Even the US government uses highly sophisticated technology such as ELF waves or acoustical means to communicate below the surface of the ocean, and for high bandwidth communications cables must be used.

That they would even hint that Starlink could somehow be involved is absurd, and anybody with the slightest knowledge of how satellite internet works obviously knows that. Starlink doesn’t even work if a tree branch gets in the way of the signal; miles of ocean between the submersible and the satellite would obviously prevent any signal from reaching the sub.

Starlink is a subsidiary of SpaceX, which Elon Musk runs. https://t.co/0MORTIgqfJ

— snopes.com (@snopes) June 21, 2023

Yet Snopes tells us that the submersible was using Starlink satellites.

“Was the missing Titanic submersible using satellites from Elon Musk’s company?” That is the question that they claim to “fact check.”

And their answer: “True.”

This, however, is NOT true. Not even close to true.

What is true is that the surface vessel that is used to carry and launch the submarine used Starlink to get internet access and communicate with the rest of the Earth, which obviously has nothing to do with communications between the surface and the submersible itself. Suggesting that the Starlink internet access has anything to do with a comms failure (and actually, we have no reason to believe yet that the problem is with communications, given how many other variables might cause silence from the sub) is no more reasonable than suggesting that the company that made the ship did.

When news broke of the failed communications, a number of news reports and posts claimed that the missing submersible was relying on Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites for its communications.

The claim is true. OceanGate, the company that operates the submersible, tweeted right before the expedition that it was relying on Starlink: “Without any cell towers in the middle of the ocean, we are relying on @Starlink to provide the communications we require throughout this year’s 2023 Titanic Expedition.”

No, it is not.

How hard was it to find out HOW the submersible communicates with the surface? About 10 seconds revealed this from Scientific American:

The Titan would have had an acoustic link with its surface vessel, set up through a transponder (a device for receiving a sonar signal) on its end, and a transceiver (a device that can both transmit and receive communications) on the surface vessel.

This link allows for underwater acoustic positioning, as well as for short text messages to be sent back and forth to the surface vessel – but the amount of data that can be shared is limited and usually includes basic telemetry and status information.

Does that sound like Starlink was involved? Snopes bases its claim on this:

The wreck of the Titanic lies about 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland. Without any cell towers in the middle of the ocean, we are relying on @Starlink to provide the communications we require throughout this year’s 2023 Titanic Expedition.

More: https://t.co/F7OtKI0En7 pic.twitter.com/wr7HeKlGjj

— OceanGate Expeditions (@OceanGateExped) June 14, 2023

Even Snopes gives itself an out by admitting that it doesn’t know if Starlink somehow is involved, but even the hint that it demonstrates either bad faith or total ignorance, either of which is a bad look for a “fact-checking” site:

While OceanGate’s official Twitter account confirmed that the company did rely on Starlink for communications, it was unknown the extent to which Starlink was responsible for the communications failure. We rate this claim as “True” and will update this post once we get more information.

No, it is known. The relationship is nonexistent. It is as relevant as what kind of boots the people on board were wearing.

By now we already know that Snopes is biased, but this level of gaslighting is beyond comprehension. Common sense alone would tell 80% of readers that this claim cannot be true. Many others will have the wit to look it up. Yet Snopes engaged in a sleight of hand to make the suggestion that Elon Musk is somehow involved in the massive failure we are witnessing.

We all know why. Elon Musk is in bad odor with the Elite, and tying him to the tragedy works in the Elite’s failure. They want to get him.

And, as we all know, the accusation will stick around forever, because they always do.

UPDATE: Snopes has updated its “fact check” after a lot of blowback, first switching to “unproven” and now the rating is “false.”

Some fact-checking, huh?