Federal · Title 47 — Telecommunications

47 U.S.C. § 21: Submarine cables; willful injury to; punishment

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

A person who willfully breaks or injures a submarine cable to disrupt telegraph communication commits a misdemeanor, punishable by up to two years imprisonment, a fine up to $5,000, or both.

Read the full statutory text

Any person who shall willfully and wrongfully break or injure, or attempt to break or injure, or who shall in any manner procure, counsel, aid, abet, or be accessory to such breaking or injury, or attempt to break or injure, a submarine cable in such manner as to interrupt or embarrass, in whole or in part, telegraphic communication, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to a fine not exceeding $5,000, or to both fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the court.

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.