UK proposes 14-year prison terms for undersea cable sabotage
Deliberate damage could bring 14 years and unlimited fines; a 12-week consultation closes January 14, 2027.
The British government proposed new offenses for damaging undersea telecommunications cables, electricity interconnectors and gas pipelines, replacing the Submarine Telegraph Act 1885. Deliberate damage would carry up to 14 years, reckless damage up to 10 and gross negligence up to two, plus unlimited fines. The government also plans statutory security requirements for subsea telecom operators and separate rules for fiber-optic sensing. It says the network remains highly resilient and most faults are accidental, while warning of suspicious Russian activity.
Unconfirmed: Officials increasingly believe Estlink 2 and other Baltic breaks were accidental, contrary to initial Finnish suspicions.
- The infrastructure carries 99% of UK international data traffic and 74% of its gas.
- The 1885 law allows a maximum £1,000 fine and five years for deliberate damage.
- Elering estimated Estlink 2 repairs at €50 million to €60 million.
- In April, British and allied forces tracked a Russian submarine and GUGI-linked vessels.
- Organizations
- Ministry of DefenceEleringGUGI
- Countries
- United KingdomRussiaFinlandEstonia
From the original article
2 min read at therecord.mediaIn an era of hybrid threats, the British government wants to update the Submarine Telegraph Act 1885, which carries a maximum fine of £1,000 and five years’ imprisonment in cases of deliberate damage.
therecord.media
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