Optical Fiber Cables Laid Worldwide... Capable of "Eavesdropping"

UK Researcher Processes Voice Data Using Optical Fiber Cables
"Confirmed Potential Risks to Personal Privacy"

There is growing interest following warnings that optical fiber cables could be used as "eavesdropping devices."

On May 8 (local time), the international academic journal Science introduced the latest research findings of Jack Lee Smith, a researcher in the Department of Geophysics at the University of Edinburgh, UK. This research was presented at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly.

Optical fiber cable. The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. Pixabay

Researcher Smith demonstrated that it is possible to detect minute voice vibrations using optical fiber cables, and even developed technology to convert this data into text. Through this, he proved that optical fiber cables can, in effect, serve as eavesdropping devices. He explained, “People are generally unaware that optical fiber cables can detect acoustic waves,” and added, “This research confirms that technologies using optical fiber could pose a risk to personal privacy.”

This technology is called Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS). It was originally developed to analyze subtle light patterns that occur when lasers emitted inside an optical fiber are reflected back. The research team used DAS equipment to measure voices through optical fibers. As a result, low-frequency voice data could be extracted without additional processing, while high-frequency voice data could also be extracted with further processing.

The publication pointed out that the technology for collecting voice data through optical fiber cables could pose not only privacy risks but also security threats. For example, if DAS is applied to submarine optical fiber cables laid around the world, they could be used as sensors to track submarines.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.