Chinese espionage targeting Google, Meta, and other tech behemoths has been warned about by US national security officials. These worries mostly affect the underwater fiber-optic cables in the Pacific Ocean, which are essential for data transfer between the US and Asia. China controls some of the specialist companies needed to maintain these cables.
Concerns Particular to SB Submarine Systems
The State Department has voiced special worry about SB Submarine Systems (SBSS), a Chinese Communist Party-controlled company. Reportedly, SBSS has been shutting off the transponders on its repair ships, which conceal their whereabouts. There are concerns now that the cables may be tampered with, endangering US military and business data.
Unexplained Behavior and National Security
2019 saw the SBSS vessel Bold Maverick repeatedly turn on and off its transponder as it was cruising in the same region off the coast of Singapore. There have been reports of SBSS ships vanishing in similar circumstances close to Taiwan and Indonesia. Majority owner of SBSS is state-owned China Telecom, which the US outlawed in 2021 citing national security issues.
Possible Risks Recognised
Concerning possible threats are US officials:
Stealing of intellectual property associated with underwater cable equipment
Reaching US data sources
locating channels of military communication
Senior officials of the Biden administration have been informed of these issues.
Reply and Actions
The National Security Council underlined the need of transparent and safe undersea cable construction, maintenance, and repair by reliable parties. One step to guarantee vessel surveillance and safety is satellite tracking of ships engaged in these repairs.
Raised Tensions between the US and China
This problem emerges in a time of increased US-China tensions as Western leaders condemn Beijing’s belligerent approach to Taiwan. Requests for comment were not promptly answered by SB Submarine Systems, billed on its website as Asia’s top supplier of submarine cable installation and maintenance.
Reaction of the Chinese Embassy
“It is nothing wrong for Chinese companies to carry out normal business in accordance with the law,” said Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington. We are adamantly against the US using national security to target and disparage Chinese businesses.”
Actions to Come
The scenario keeps changing as US authorities and tech giants like Google and Meta work through the ramifications of these security issues. Undersea cable security and integrity are still top concerns for preserving data safety and worldwide connectivity.