UK threatens subsea cable saboteurs with 14 years behind bars

Britain is threatening subsea cable saboteurs with up to 14 years in prison and unlimited fines, having apparently decided that Victorian-era laws aren't quite up to the job of keeping Russian submarines away from critical infrastructure.

The government on Thursday set out plans to overhaul legislation dating back to 1885 and introduce tougher penalties for damaging the underwater cables and pipelines that keep Britain's internet and energy supplies running.

According to Whitehall, subsea cables carry around 99 percent of the UK's international data traffic, while underwater pipelines account for 74 percent of its gas supply. Yet much of this infrastructure is protected by laws written when the telegraph was cutting-edge technology.

The Submarine Telegraph Act 1885 originally imposed a £100 maximum fine for damaging a cable through culpable negligence. That might have been a reasonable deterrent back then, but it's unlikely to give today's would-be saboteurs much pause.

Under the proposals, those who intentionally damage critical subsea energy or telecoms …