“It’s one of at least six private undersea cable deals in the Asia-Pacific region over the past four years where the U.S. government either intervened to keep HMN Tech from winning that business, or forced the rerouting or abandonment of cables that would have directly linked U.S. and Chinese territories. The story of those interventions by Washington hasn’t been previously reported.” The battle over China and Internet privacy isn’t limited to TikTok. Reuters: U.S. and China wage war beneath the waves – over internet cables.

+ “The House Energy and Commerce Committee was gathered, it said, to investigate ‘how Congress can safeguard American data privacy and protect children from online harms.’ And on that, the hearing revealed plenty.” Wired: The interrogation of CEO Shou Zi Chew highlighted US lawmakers’ own failure to pass privacy legislation. (It’s silly to pretend there’s no peril associated with a China-owned social network tracking our kids. But the national risk posed by our divisive, often anti-democratic Congress—many of whom pocketed cash from US social media players before going after TikTok—is much, much greater.)

+ While we’re on the topic of social media, remember how Twitter was purchased by a self-described free-speech absolutist? Whoops. Twitter blocked 122 accounts in India at the government’s request.