What’s the problem?
The UK’s digital backbone. The cloud services, data systems, and platforms that underpin government, public services, and democratic processes is dangerously reliant on a small number of foreign tech companies.
Much of this critical digital infrastructure is controlled by US-based firms such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Palantir, whose services are embedded across government and the public sector. Other key providers are based in Israel and China. Together, these companies operate systems that are essential to how the UK state functions day to day.
MPs have previously taken action over Huawei’s links to the Chinese government. But far more needs to be done to address the UK’s wider dependence on foreign-controlled companies for the digital backbone of our democracy, economy, and national security. This urgency has only increased as the US government has shown a growing willingness to act outside international law.
Even systems described as “secure” are fragile when foreign governments or corporations can withdraw services, change terms, or pull the plug altogether.
This is a national security risk
As Siân Berry MP puts it:
“Every MP should be paying attention to this. More than ever our lives and public services are digital, which makes the concentration of data and daily necessities in private systems a genuine and critical problem of risk and resilience. We need Government to make a plan to fix this for the public good – our long-term future depends crucially on restoring control over the digital systems we rely upon every day.”
That is why Siân has tabled Early Day Motion 2650, calling on the government to devise a UK digital sovereignty strategy. The motion urges ministers to ensure that government services, democratic functions, and critical infrastructure do not depend on a small number of external digital suppliers that expose the public sector to risks such as service withdrawal, sanctions, commercial failure, geopolitical disruption, and unilateral changes to service terms.
Urge your MP to support this EDM, so the Government grows a spine and protects the UK’s digital backbone.
