CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin reports on the latest news regarding Big Tech and undersea cables. Lawmakers want assurance that these cables are safe.

US lawmakers are seeking assurances from the CEOs of major technology companies, including Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft, regarding the security of undersea cables that carry most international internet traffic. Concerns have been raised by members of the House China Select Committee about entities affiliated with China providing maintenance for cables in which these companies have ownership stakes. Lawmakers are wary of the risk of Chinese or Russian interference with these critical communication links, particularly the possibility of unauthorized access or data siphoning during maintenance operations.

The discussion underscores the broader issue of who maintains these vital cables and the potential vulnerabilities involved. The matter has become increasingly significant as global internet infrastructure relies heavily on these undersea networks, and questions remain about the comparative safety of alternative technologies such as satellites.

Lawmakers want assurances from Big Tech on undersea cable safety

Welcome back to Squawk Box this morning. Lawmakers trying to make sure that the heads of big tech companies are safeguarding the submarine submarine cables that crisscross the globe and carry nearly all international Internet traffic. Now in a letter to the CEOs of Alphabet Meta Amazon and Microsoft three Republican House members on the China Select Committee raising concerns that entities affiliated with China are providing maintenance to cables in which the companies have ownership. Lawmakers have grown wary of potential Chinese or Russian interference with those cables. Later in the show we're going to speak with China Select Committee ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi about all of this. But it's become a big issue in tech about who's maintaining these cables whether if somebody is down there fixing the cable they can somehow get access to the cable and then what they can do to siphon off information from the cable. But that's what's at issue here. Wonder if satellites are safer as a result. No interference between here and there until people are going up in space every other day to go fix the satellites. Yeah. All right. Health care company Humana says that it is eliminating about a third of prior authorization requirements for outpatient services. The company says that by January 1st it will roll out a faster more streamlined process for approvals that will provide a decision within one business day for at least 95 percent of prior authorization requests. And it's launching a national gold card program that will waive prior author authorization requirements for certain items services and providers who have a proven record of submitting coverage requests that meet medical criteria. Yay. Humana will also begin publicly reporting metrics on authorizations including approvals denials and approved after appeal stats. Very interesting especially after the conversation we had yesterday with the guy who's using I what is a claimable using a I to try and appeal any denials from insurance coverage that come through. This would be a welcome request. I think everybody's gotten caught up in that. You submit an appeal or you submit an authorization. Don't hear back. Don't hear back. Don't hear back. Finally get denied. If you can speed some of that process up that would be good. But ultimately it's going to be the bots fighting the bots. Yes. Right. Right. Build a better mousetrap. This is same thing as the story before. Right. Continues to upgrade. But look if you can help smooth this process along make it better for the people who are sick who are trying to get coverage that would be great.

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