Lawmakers Demand Tech Giants Address Submarine Cable Security Concerns
UNITED STATES, JUL 21 – Republican lawmakers demand major tech firms reveal safeguards against foreign interference in submarine cables, citing evidence of sabotage attempts by China and Russia, officials said.
- On July 21, 2025, three Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives questioned the leaders of Alphabet, Meta , Amazon, and Microsoft about the security measures they have implemented to protect submarine communications cables.
- The request followed investigations into sabotage after two fiber-optic cables were cut in the Baltic Sea in November 2024 and similar 2023 incidents involving Chinese vessels near Taiwan.
- The letter, signed by Representatives John Moolenaar, Carlos Gimenez, and Keith Self, urged companies to report hardware tampering, signal tapping, or irregularities by August 8 amid concerns over Chinese-affiliated entities servicing cables.
- Last week, the Federal Communications Commission announced intentions to implement regulations preventing submarine cables containing Chinese technology from connecting to the United States, citing concerns over coordinated hostile activities attributed to China and Russia targeting critical subsea infrastructure.
- These actions reflect heightened U.S. focus on securing over 400 subsea cables handling 99% of global internet traffic amid threats to critical communications from foreign adversaries.
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U.S. lawmakers press tech CEOs on threats to undersea cables | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
WASHINGTON >> Three Republican House lawmakers today asked the CEOs of Alphabet, Facebook parent Meta, Amazon.com and Microsoft if they have adopted adequate safeguards to address growing national security concerns on submarine communications cables.
Lawmakers Demand Tech Giants Address Submarine Cable Security Concerns
Three Republican House representatives have questioned major tech companies about their safeguards for submarine communications cables, which handle the majority of international internet traffic. Concerns focus on potential threats from China and Russia, with calls for disclosure of any known incidents of tampering or other security issues.
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