Revolutionary Submarine Cables: An Unseen Industry Connecting the World and Keeping Secrets Safe
- The first transatlantic telegraph cable was laid in 1858
- Today, there are 1.4 million kilometers of cables connecting the world, transferring up to 224 terabytes of data per second
- A secretive industry exists dedicated to laying and maintaining these cables, as well as monitoring them for natural disasters and sharks
- Leaked NSA maps have revealed the existence of certain disguised buildings used for government surveillance on these cables
- Incogni is a service that works to protect people’s personal information from being bought and sold on an open market.
The History of Submarine Cable Espionage: From the American Civil War to the USA Patriot Act
- Submarine cables have been used for espionage and sabotage purposes in war time for centuries, which was seen in the American Civil War, World War I, and World War II
- The British Navy tapped a German submarine cable during World War I, while the U.S. created an agency to tap civilian telegrams and phones during WWII
- In the Cold War era, the Halibut submarine was used to secretly tap into Soviet underwater cables
- In 2001, President Clinton signed the USA Patriot Act to monitor terrorist communications
- Finally, in 2006 a leaked document revealed that AT&T had let the NSA tap into their fiber optic cable traversing through Asia.
Revealed: US National Security Agencys Global Data Collection Practices
- The 2013 Edward Snowden leak revealed that the NSA was tapping into hundreds of submarine cables around the globe, accessing data from technology and telecommunications companies like Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, YouTube, Skype and Apple to gain access to global communications
- The US was restricted in their ability to track American citizens but found a loophole by working with their British counterparts GCHQ
- The NSA then processed this data through Pinecone and stored it in XKeyscore – a searchable database – to analyze patterns of suspicious activity and extract information on suspected terrorists or other malicious actors
- Additionally, data collected by metadata has become a weapon of modern warfare and the United States’ monopoly of cable connection has been challenged by China.
The Growing Digital Divide: US and China Compete in Creating Cables and Surveillance Practices
- China and the US are both creating their own networks of cables through state-owned companies
- Russia is also creating polar express cable
- China is tracking its population through visual recognition technology
- US has formed a new special unit to assess any new cables for potential threats
- Google and Facebook have had projects shut down by US Team Telecom
- China and US lines are not connecting to each other, leading to a bifurcated world map
- China is laying down cables on small islands and Africa, which may be tapped into by Russia’s Yantar surface ship, while the US has the USS Jimmy Carter spy vessel
- Private companies are taking extra precautions to protect their cables from damage or tampering.
YouTube Channel Dedicated to Rigorous Journalism Reaches New Heights with Creative Map Projection
- This video portrays the creative process of a YouTube channel dedicated to rigorous journalism in an era where facts and truth are diminishing
- The channel has access to scripts, Tom Fox music, luts, presets and posters designed by the speaker
- The poster is a map projection which has sold out and will be reprinted shortly
- Supporters of the channel can purchase these products to help support its mission.