UK Proposes Up to 14 Years in Prison for Subsea Cable Sabotage in Overhaul of 1885 Law

The UK government set out plans in a Thursday White Paper to overhaul the Submarine Telegraph Act 1885, proposing up to 14 years in prison for intentionally damaging critical subsea telecoms or energy infrastructure, alongside unlimited fines for reckless or negligent damage. According to Whitehall, subsea cables carry around 99% of the UK's international data traffic and underwater pipelines account for 74% of its gas supply, though previous government estimates indicate fishing boats and dragged ship anchors cause up to 97% of cable faults. The proposed rules would place legal duties on subsea telecom operators to manage security risks, grant ministers powers to direct operators and cable repair providers to protect national security, and regulate fiber-optic sensing technology used to detect maritime activity. The proposals follow a covert Russian submarine operation exposed by British forces in April and a 12-week government consultation is now open before ministers decide how to proceed. "The threats we face have changed dramatically, with suspicious Russian activity around critical undersea infrastructure, yet some of the laws protecting these vital connections date back more than a century." — Ian Murray, UK Telecoms Minister.