Submarine cables, which transmit over 95% of global internet traffic, are increasingly controlled by private corporations rather than states. While international law, specifically UNCLOS, grants freedom to lay these cables, it was negotiated in a pre-digital era and did not foresee the current landscape where private entities effectively govern this essential infrastructure. This creates a situation where the seabed, legally a global commons, is functionally managed by those with the capital and technology to maintain these digital arteries. AI
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IMPACT Discusses the governance of critical digital infrastructure, which underpins AI operations and data flow.
RANK_REASON This is an opinion piece discussing the implications of private control over submarine cable infrastructure on international maritime law.