Alphabet Inc’s Google and Facebook Inc dropped plans for an undersea cable between the US and Hong Kong after US President Donald Trump’s administration said that Beijing might use the link to collect information on Americans.
The companies quickly submitted a revised proposal that includes links to Taiwan and the Philippines, as envisioned in the application that was withdrawn on Thursday.
The new filing did not include Hong Kong-based Pacific Light Data Communication Co (太平洋光纜數據通訊), a partner in the original plan and a concern for US security agencies that cited its links to mainland China’s Dr. Peng Telecom & Media Group Co (鵬博士電信傳媒集團).
The steps come as tensions continue to escalate between the US and China over a series of conflicts. These include Beijing’s tightening grip on Hong Kong and its treatment of the Uighurs, a Muslim ethnic group; American accusations that Chinese high-tech products could be used for spying; and recriminations over the spread of COVID-19 from China’s Hubei Province.
Trump has taken a tougher stance on China as he pursues re-election.
Google and Facebook proposed the Pacific Light Cable Network project in 2017, listing all three trans-Pacific destinations.
A collection of executive branch agencies known as Team Telecom, led by the US Department of Justice, on June 17 asked the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deny the link to Hong Kong, saying that it would give China a way to acquire personal data from people in the US.
The agencies called Pacific Light Data a subsidiary of Dr. Peng, which they said has relations with Chinese intelligence and security services.
The agencies recommended that the FCC approve parts of the project connecting the US to Taiwan and the Philippines.
Google in April won authority to operate the portion linking Taiwan for six months.
“We continue to work through established channels to obtain cable landing licenses for our undersea cables,” a Google spokesperson said in an e-mail.
The Google representative said that the original application “has been withdrawn, and a revised application for the US-Taiwan and US-Philippines portions of the system has been submitted.”
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks wrote on Twitter that the application had been pulled back after US officials had raised national security concerns.
“I shared those concerns & will continue to speak out,” Starks said. “@FCC must ensure that our telecom traffic is safe & secure.”
A Facebook representative responded to a query by directing a reporter to the project’s FCC filings.
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