On the observability of Galois representations and the Tate conjecture

The Tate conjecture has two parts: i) Tate classes are linear combination of algebraic classes, ii) semisimplicity of Galois representations (for smooth projective varieties). B. Moonen proved that i) implies ii) in characteristic 0, using $p$-adic Hodge theory. We show that an unconditional result lies behind this implication: the {\it observability} of arithmetic monodromy groups of geometric origin (in any characteristic) - which leads to a sharpening of Moonen's result. We also discuss another aspect of the Tate conjecture related to the transcendence of $p$-adic periods.