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Subsea cables and oil pipelines: The infrastructure linking AI, empire, and occupation

Illustration: Subsea cables and oil pipelines: The infrastructure linking AI, empire, and occupation
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The physical networks that carry global internet traffic have become a growing focus of military planners and policymakers, as ownership of that infrastructure concentrates in fewer hands and its strategic value becomes harder to ignore. A new analysis published by Global Voices explores the overlapping relationships between digital infrastructure, fossil fuel systems, and geopolitical power — particularly in the Middle East.

Who controls the cables

More than 600 active and planned underwater cables now span roughly 1.5 million kilometers of ocean floor, carrying the bulk of the world’s internet traffic. Four American technology companies — Google, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft — collectively own or control more than 75 percent of this infrastructure, giving them significant influence over where and how data physically moves around the world.

Earlier in 2026, the US Federal Communications Commission proposed an update to existing communications security legislation, expanding a list of restricted foreign technology to include equipment linked to China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. The move came in part amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint critical to both oil shipping and undersea cable routes in which the US has made substantial investments.

In the Gulf region, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates host the highest concentration of data center and cloud computing projects in the area, with major investments from both American and Chinese technology firms. In 2025, Saudi Arabia launched a state-backed artificial intelligence company called HUMAIN, which subsequently announced a partnership with a US-based AI company to develop enterprise services.

Energy, occupation, and data

The connection between internet infrastructure and fossil fuels runs deeper than geography. Data centers in the United States increasingly rely on natural gas systems, and AI tools are being used to optimize both energy delivery and hydrocarbon extraction processes. In Israel, which depends heavily on imported oil, natural gas from the Leviathan field in the Mediterranean represents a significant domestic energy source.

American technology companies operating data centers in Israel — including Amazon, Microsoft, and Google — hold contracts with the US Department of Defense worth approximately nine billion dollars. Because data is legally subject to the jurisdiction of the country where it is stored, Palestinians who depend on Israeli digital infrastructure have limited control over their own data.

At the UN General Assembly in September 2026, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed world leaders remotely from Ramallah after being denied entry to the United States for the second consecutive year, calling on the international community to end the ongoing occupation of Palestinian territory.

This article is adapted from “Subsea cables and oil pipelines: The infrastructure linking AI, empire, and occupation” published by Global Voices, licensed under CC BY 3.0. Changes were made. Read the original story at the link above.

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