A new report to the US Congress warns that undersea cable projects owned by American companies such as Google and Meta face some of the greatest risks from deep-sea sabotage in the Pacific Ocean, as Chinese research ships spend extraordinary time surveying cables and Chinese commercial ships face investigation for cutting cables in European and Asian waters.
The assessment comes from the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, an independent government commission that advises Congress, and was contracted to the London-based think tank China Strategic Risks Institute. It was published in September 2026.
The report focuses on gray zone tactics against the Internet's undersea infrastructure, coinciding with observations of Chinese research ships apparently surveying undersea cables at unusual length. Chinese commercial ships have also been investigated over cable-cutting in both European and Asian waters.
Most damage to the undersea cables that form the Internet's backbone remains accidental: bottom-trawling fishing nets, ship anchors dragging on the seabed, storms and undersea landslides. But the recent rise in international tensions and open conflicts has placed new scrutiny on more suspicious instances of cable-cutting damage. Analysts warn that Russia and China in particular may be engaging in cable sabotage or tampering as "gray zone" tactics that fall short of direct military confrontation.
According to the report, US-owned projects face some of the greatest risks from the threat of deep-sea sabotage in the Pacific, putting companies such as Google and Meta at the centre of concern.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Undersea cables carry the bulk of the world's internet traffic, so their loss disrupts global connectivity and commerce.
- US firms Google and Meta own Pacific cable projects directly named as among the most exposed.
- Gray zone sabotage sits below the threshold of open military conflict, which makes detection, attribution and response harder.
Background
Undersea cables form the physical backbone of the global internet. Historically, most damage to them has resulted from accidents: bottom-trawling fishing nets, ship anchors dragging across the seabed, storms and undersea landslides. As international tensions and open conflicts have risen, scrutiny has shifted to suspicious cable-cutting, with analysts warning that Russia and China in particular could use sabotage or tampering as gray zone tactics that stay short of direct military confrontation.
Key Perspectives
US-China Economic and Security Review Commission: its September 2026 report warns that US-owned subsea cable projects such as those of Google and Meta face some of the greatest risks from deep-sea sabotage in the Pacific.
Analysts: warn that Russia and China engage in cable sabotage or tampering as "gray zone" tactics, falling short of direct military confrontation.
What to Watch
- The progress of investigations into Chinese commercial ships suspected of cutting cables in European and Asian waters.
- The duration and location of Chinese research ship surveying around Pacific cable systems.
- How Congress responds to the commission's risk assessment and whether it leads to new policy or funding recommendations.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.
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- Partly supportedThe headline says Chinese sabotage threatens US-owned Pacific undersea cables.Ars Technica - All content: “Subsea cable projects owned by US companies such as Google and Meta face some of the greatest risks from the threat of deep-sea sabotage in the Pacific Ocean, according to a new report.”
- Partly supportedThe summary says the Commission study flags gray-zone tactics targeting Google and Meta cable projects.Ars Technica - All content: “Subsea cable projects owned by US companies such as Google and Meta face some of the greatest risks from the threat of deep-sea sabotage in the Pacific Ocean, according to a new report.”
- SupportedUS-owned cable projects such as Google’s and Meta’s face some of the greatest risks from deep-sea sabotage in the Pacific.Ars Technica - All content: “Subsea cable projects owned by US companies such as Google and Meta face some of the greatest risks from the threat of deep-sea sabotage in the Pacific Ocean, according to a new report.”
- Partly supportedChinese research ships spend extraordinary time surveying undersea cables.Ars Technica - All content: “That coincides with Chinese research ships spending an extraordinary amount of time apparently surveying undersea cables”
- SupportedChinese commercial ships are being investigated for cutting cables in European and Asian waters.Ars Technica - All content: “Chinese commercial ships being investigated for cutting cables in both European and Asian waters.”
- SupportedThe report comes from the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, an independent government commission that advises Congress.Ars Technica - All content: “the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, an independent government commission that advises Congress.”
- SupportedThe report was contracted to the London-based China Strategic Risks Institute.Ars Technica - All content: “The report was contracted to the London-based think tank China Strategic Risks Institute”
- SupportedThe report was published in September 2026.Ars Technica - All content: “and published in September 2026.”
- SupportedThe report focuses on gray-zone tactics against the Internet’s undersea infrastructure.Ars Technica - All content: “One of the newest risk assessments of China’s gray zone tactics targeting the Internet’s undersea infrastructure”
- SupportedMost damage to undersea cables is accidental, including damage from fishing nets, ship anchors, storms and undersea landslides.Ars Technica - All content: “Most damage to the undersea cables that form the Internet’s backbone is the result of accidents involving bottom-trawling fishing nets and ship anchors dragging on the seabed, with storms and undersea landslides also factoring in.”
- SupportedRising international tensions and open conflicts have brought new scrutiny to suspicious cable-cutting damage.Ars Technica - All content: “But the recent rise in international tensions and open conflicts have placed new scrutiny on more suspicious instances of cable-cutting damage”
- SupportedAnalysts warn that Russia and China may be engaging in cable sabotage or tampering as gray-zone tactics falling short of direct military confrontation.Ars Technica - All content: “with analysts warning about Russia and China in particular engaging in cable sabotage or tampering as “gray zone” tactics that fall short of direct military confrontation.”