US warns Google, Meta about risk of Chinese repair ships tampering with undersea internet cables

US officials are warning some big tech companies like Google and Meta about potential vulnerabilities in the undersea cables that carry internet traffic across the Pacific Ocean, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. The concern centers on Chinese repair ships, particularly those operated by S.B. Submarine Systems (SBSS), a state-controlled company. These ships have been found to intermittently hide their locations from radio and satellite tracking services, raising suspicions among US officials.

This issue highlights a significant security risk to the undersea fiber-optic cables that Silicon Valley giants like Google and Meta own and rely on. These companies depend on specialised construction and repair firms, including foreign-owned ones, which US officials fear could compromise the security of both commercial and military data.

The WSJ report claims US officials have privately briefed companies such as Google and Meta about the potential threats posed by Chinese firms like SBSS.

Notably, SBSS vessels like the Fu Hai, Fu Tai, and Bold Maverick have periodically disappeared from satellite tracking systems, sometimes for days at a time, while operating near Taiwan, Indonesia, and other coastal areas in Asia. These data gaps are unusual and have raised concerns among officials and industry experts.

Undersea cables, which carry almost all the world’s international internet traffic, are vulnerable when brought to the surface for repairs. US officials warn that repair ships could potentially engage in tapping of data, mapping the ocean floor for reconnaissance, or theft of intellectual property used in cable equipment. There is also concern that these ships might lay cables for the Chinese military.

According to the report, Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, stated that he was unaware of the US concerns and defended Chinese companies' right to conduct business legally. Despite this, the tracking beacons on SBSS vessels have been intermittently inactive over the past five years, raising further suspicion.

SBSS was formed as a Chinese-British joint venture, with China Telecom holding a majority stake and is now in the process of acquiring the remainder from UK-based Global Marine Systems. A member of the Chinese Communist Party serves on the SBSS management team.

The US has taken measures to safeguard underwater cables since the Cold War, and recent concerns have intensified with China's military expansion in the South China Sea. To mitigate risks, the US government is funding several Pacific cable projects and investing in infrastructure through companies like Google. Additionally, SubCom, a US cable ship company, receives government payments to ensure its availability for critical repairs.