UK's digital dependence on US called urgent risk

A stark new assessment from the Open Rights Group warns that the UK's deep integration of American technology giants into its public sector fabric has metastasized from a costly inefficiency into an urgent national security vulnerability, exposing critical infrastructure to the whims of foreign policy and extraterritorial legal mandates, reports The Register.

The report, "Tech Giants and Giant Slayers," contends that firms like Microsoft and Palantir have not only locked government into "wasteful contracts" but have actively shaped domestic policy to weaken competition and data protections, effectively entrenching their own dominance.

Jim Killock, ORG's executive director, argued that this overreliance now constitutes an "urgent national security issue," citing the alleged disruption of ICC services under US sanctions as a preview of the leverage wielded by "tech powers of sanction."

With the Competition and Markets Authority estimating at least 500 million in annual cloud overspend, the report urges a deliberate pivot toward open source software and digital sovereignty. Cross-party political figures echoed the alarm, warning that without building domestic resilience and liberating public code from shareholder interests, the UK remains dangerously exposed to the geopolitical crossfire of its primary technology suppliers.

Written by

Kelley Damore Chief Content Officer CyberRisk Alliance

Kelley Damore is Chief Content Officer at CyberRisk Alliance, where she leads content strategy across the company’s digital brands, research, communities and live events serving CISOs and security practitioners. At CyberRisk Alliance, she is focused on delivering 365-day engagement, trusted journalism and actionable insights to help security leaders navigate an increasingly complex threat landscape.