The US authorities have reported that hackers linked to China intercepted surveillance data intended for American law enforcement agencies after breaching several telecom companies.

Hackers breached the networks of several telecommunications companies, obtaining U.S. customer call records and communications from a select group of individuals primarily involved in government or political activities. This information was shared in a joint statement released by the FBI and CISA, the U.S. cyber watchdog agency.
The two agencies said the hackers also copied "certain information that was subject to U.S. law enforcement requests under court orders."

The statement provided limited details, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency did not respond to a request for comment. The FBI also declined to comment. The announcement reaffirmed the key points from earlier media reports, particularly those reported by the Wall Street Journal. It suggests that Chinese hackers are believed to have gained access to the interception systems used by law enforcement to monitor Americans' communications.

The issue is currently scheduled for investigation by the Cyber Safety Review Board of the Department of Homeland Security. This board was established to examine the causes and consequences of significant digital security incidents. The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond promptly to a request for comment. Beijing routinely denies allegations of hacking by the United States.