UK proposes up to 14 years in prison for undersea cable saboteurs

What is proposed?

The UK government is proposing new criminal offences and penalties to protect critical undersea infrastructure such as cables and pipelines. The offences include causing a security compromise to critical undersea infrastructure, obstructing repairs, and failing to preserve evidence when requested.

Three-tier penalties

Intentional conduct could carry up to 14 years' imprisonment, reckless conduct 10 years, and grossly negligent conduct two years. Potentially unlimited fines are also proposed, and the government is considering an even higher maximum for more serious cases.

Emergency powers

During a national security emergency, ministers would be able to order telecom companies to remove or disable services. They could also compel companies to grant officials access to sensitive sites, including cable landing stations.

The threat backdrop

According to the BBC, 500 incidents of Russian vessels loitering above cables have been recorded over the past four and a half years. The UK acknowledges it is "highly dependent" on privately owned undersea infrastructure.

Next steps

The proposals form a White Paper, and interested parties can respond via an online questionnaire until January 14, 2027.