Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1984
Team Telecom, a shadowy US national security unit tasked with protecting America's telecommunications systems, is delaying plans by Google, Facebook and other tech companies for the next generation of international fiber optic cables.
Team Telecom comprises representatives from the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and Justice (including the FBI), who assess foreign investments in American telecom infrastructure, with a focus on cybersecurity and surveillance vulnerabilities.
Team Telecom works at a notoriously sluggish pace, taking over seven years to decide that letting China Mobile operate in the US would "raise substantial and serious national security and law enforcement risks," for instance. And while Team Telecom is working, applications are stalled at the FCC.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2019/07/18/how-us-national-security-agencies-hold-the-internet-hostage/
(Score: 1) by jmichaelhudsondotnet on Friday July 26 2019, @04:03PM
Holding hostage is not the right metaphor. They are just buying time in order to invent something more devlish.
"Lords over" kindof works. "Outright controls via secret plots" is perhaps the closest short description I can write.
"Mysterious Inter-Agency Panel Ponders Adding New Words to Dictionary to Give Appearance of Legality to New 0 Privacy Policy"
Team Telecom sounds so friendly doesn't it?
"Team to make sure not a single bit of your use of digital devices escapes notice and storage by powerful people who may or may not want to erase your existence."
"Team Anti-personal Computer"
"Team of Spies Who Demand To Read Everyone's Minds For Our Own Good"
That's more like it.