MPs urged to rein in UK reliance on US tech giants

Privacy organisation Open Rights Group is calling on MPs to implement a digital sovereignty strategy to reduce the UK’s reliance on US tech giants, arguing that relying on one country for energy needs would be irresponsible, and so is overreliance on American companies to supply the bulk of our digital infrastructure.

The digital rights group has urged Parliamentarians to make the strategy a requirement in the Cybersecurity & Resilience Bill, which has its second reading in the House of Commons this week, amid claims that it is simply too risky for the UK to rely on the likes of Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Palantir

ORG’s platform power programme manager James Baker said: “Now more than ever, the UK needs to build and protect sovereignty over its digital infrastructure, and not leave itself vulnerable to the policies and actions of foreign powers such as the US and China.

ORG insists that, in recent years, states have used digital infrastructure to wield political and military power, citing reports that Microsoft blocked the email account of ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan after President Trump imposed sanctions on the ICC for issuing an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Microsoft denied this but in October 2025, the ICC stopped using Microsoft services and had switched to openDesk, an open source European software platform.

In 2022, US company John Deere disabled tractors stolen by Russia from a dealership in Ukraine. Writer Cory Doctorow noted at the time: “Many of us savoured this high-tech bit of revenge, me included. But the implications here are pretty grim.”

The move indicated that if political pressure were brought to bear on John Deere, they could apply the kill switch to farm vehicles around the world.

In 2020, a parliamentary inquiry found “clear evidence of collusion” between Huawei and the Chinese Communist Party, leading to the company being phased out from British 5G networks.

ORG has called on Parliamentarians to develop a digital sovereignty strategy that considers whether services can continue if a supplier withdraws; whether data access can be restricted by foreign law; and whether the UK has meaningful alternatives if relationships with foreign states change.

It warns that while a digital infrastructure may be technically secure, they can still be strategically fragile.

The organisation believes a new strategy would increase the ability of UK firms, including SMEs, to bid for and maintain government systems, expanding opportunities for British businesses, fostering entrepreneurship, stimulating innovation and deepening the domestic tech sector’s capacity.

Baker concluded: “Although the US is a historical ally, it’s assertion that it will use hard power to achieve its political, economic and military goals, should raise concerns among Parliamentarians in the UK. The Cybersecurity & Resilience Bill is an opportunity to improve the UK’s control over its infrastructure.”