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.
Three Republican lawmakers have sought clarity from the CEOs of Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft regarding their security measures for submarine communications cables. These cables handle 99% of the world's internet traffic, and concerns are growing over potential threats from nations like China and Russia.
The letter highlights apprehensions about Chinese affiliates, such as SBSS and Huawei Marine, providing services to cable systems in which these tech companies are involved. Signed by Representative John Moolenaar and other Republican representatives, the letter probes the extent of foreign influence over these critical infrastructures.
Legislators have urged these companies to report any hardware tampering or similar incidents by August 8. This move comes amidst actions by U.S. regulators to prevent Chinese tech in undersea cables and recent reports of cable cuts suggestive of sabotage in strategic areas like the Baltic Sea.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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