{"id":883795,"date":"2026-01-09T23:11:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T05:11:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/09\/campaigners-urge-uk-to-develop-digital-sovereignty-strategy\/"},"modified":"2026-01-09T23:11:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-10T05:11:47","slug":"campaigners-urge-uk-to-develop-digital-sovereignty-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/09\/campaigners-urge-uk-to-develop-digital-sovereignty-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"Campaigners urge UK to develop digital sovereignty strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero Images\/cyber-security-laptop-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" data-credit=\"Tierney - stock.adobe.com\"  width=\"520\" height=\"173\" alt><\/p>\n<p>Tierney &#8211; stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"content-header\">\n<h2>UK digital rights campaigners have urged UK parliamentarians to implement a digital sovereignty strategy as part of the forthcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to reduce reliance on technology subject to foreign interference <\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"content-center\">\n<ul>\n<li><i data-icon=\"1\"><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i data-icon=\"2\"><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"contributors-block\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Sebastian-Klovig-Skelton-CW-contributor.jpg\" alt=\"Sebastian Klovig Skelton\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/contributor\/Sebastian-Klovig-Skelton\">Sebastian Klovig Skelton,<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Data &#038; ethics editor<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n\tPublished: <span>08 Jan 2026 16:45<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"content-body\">\n<p>The Open Rights Group (ORG) is calling on the UK government to implement a digital sovereignty strategy, arguing there is a pressing need to reduce the country\u2019s dependence on technological infrastructure from US companies that may be subject to foreign interference.<\/p>\n<p>The digital rights campaigner warned that while various digital infrastructures may be technically secure, they could become \u201cstrategically fragile\u201d if they depend on a small number of foreign-controlled suppliers or proprietary systems that cannot be easily replaced.<\/p>\n<p>They also warned that widespread dependence on hyperscale cloud services such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366631259\/Microsoft-to-invest-30bn-in-expanding-its-operations-and-AI-infrastructure-footprint-in-UK\">Microsoft<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366610080\/AWS-to-invest-8bn-in-building-out-UK-datacentre-footprint-over-next-five-years\">Amazon Web Services<\/a> (AWS) poses risks, as these entities are subject to laws that could be used by the US government to compel them to provide UK-stored data to US authorities, effectively bypassing local laws.<\/p>\n<p>To alleviate the risks associated with this kind of over-reliance on US-controlled infrastructure, ORG said a digital sovereignty strategy should be made a requirement in the UK\u2019s forthcoming <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/opinion\/UKs-Cyber-Bill-should-be-just-one-part-of-a-wider-effort\">Cybersecurity and Resilience Bill<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Such a strategy should specifically consider whether services can continue if a supplier withdraws; whether data access can be restricted by foreign law; whether sanctions, trade disputes or political pressure could disrupt systems; and whether the UK has meaningful alternatives if relationships with foreign states change.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust as relying on one country for the UK\u2019s energy needs would be risky and irresponsible, so is over-reliance on US companies to supply the bulk of our digital infrastructure,\u201d said James Baker, the platform power programme manager at ORG.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow 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. Although the US is a historical ally, its 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 and Resilience Bill is an opportunity to improve the UK\u2019s control over its infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>ORG added that the strategy should also prioritise the use of interoperable, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366636231\/Digital-Ethics-Summit-2025-open-sourcing-and-assuring-AI\">open source systems<\/a>, which would increase the ability of UK firms to bid for and maintain government systems.<\/p>\n<section data-menu-title=\"A question of sovereignty\">\n<h2><i data-icon=\"1\"><\/i>A question of sovereignty<\/h2>\n<p>The call for a digital sovereignty strategy follows the US government\u2019s illegal abduction of Venezuelan president Niol\u00e1s Maduro, and subsequent threats made by US president Donald Trump and other high-ranking US government officials that similar unilateral military interventions could be staged in Cuba, Colombia and Greenland.<\/p>\n<p>It also comes on the heels of controversial software provider Palantir landing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.find-tender.service.gov.uk\/Notice\/083874-2025\">\u00a3240m contract<\/a> with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in mid-December 2025 \u2013 awarded without a competitive process \u2013 which represents the largest ever UK defence deal.<\/p>\n<p>The contract will see Palantir provide \u201cdata analytics capabilities supporting critical strategic, tactical and live operational decision making across classifications\u201d over the next three years, and has been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.eu\/article\/palantir-lands-biggest-ever-uk-defense-deal\/\">criticised by a range of actors from across the political spectrum<\/a> for increasing the UK\u2019s reliance on US firms at the expense of British counterparts.<\/p>\n<p>ORG added that there have been a number of examples in recent years of states using digital infrastructure to wield political and military power.<\/p>\n<p>This includes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/opinion\/Microsofts-ICC-email-block-reignites-European-data-sovereignty-concerns\">Microsoft blocking the email account of the International Criminal Court\u2019s (ICC\u2019s) chief prosecutor, Karim Khan<\/a>, after Trump imposed sanctions on the institution for issuing an arrest warrant against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.<\/p>\n<p>While Microsoft has denied this \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techzine.eu\/news\/privacy-compliance\/131996\/microsoft-denies-having-suspended-any-services-to-icc\/\">claiming<\/a> it remained in contact with the ICC while \u201cdisconnecting Khan\u2019s Outlook account \u2013 the ICC stopped using Microsoft services in October 2025 and switched to OpenDesk, an open source European software platform.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>ORG also pointed to John Deere\u2019s remote disabling of tractors stolen by Russian forces in Ukraine, saying it indicates that if political pressure was brought to bear on the firm, it could apply the kill switch to farm vehicles around the world.<\/p>\n<p>As it stands, however, the UK government is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/opinion\/The-AI-Opportunities-Action-Plan-is-recommended-reading\">attempting to make the UK an artificial intelligence superpower<\/a>, with plans to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366627724\/UK-government-plans-to-ramp-up-sovereign-computer-capacity\">rapidly expand the country\u2019s sovereign compute capacity<\/a>\u00a0and create\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366628066\/The-UK-governments-AI-Growth-Zones-strategy-Everything-you-need-to-know\">AI growth zones<\/a> to facilitate the building of new datacentres, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366626397\/Industrial-Strategy-Takeways-for-UK-tech-innovations\">massive investments<\/a>\u00a0for the underlying cloud infrastructure coming from\u00a0Microsoft,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366631306\/Waltham-Cross-to-get-heating-from-Google-datacentre\">Google<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0AWS thus far.<\/p>\n<p>Previously, senior Microsoft employees\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/emmawoollacott\/2025\/07\/22\/microsoft-cant-keep-eu-data-safe-from-us-authorities\/\">admitted to the French senate in June 2025<\/a>\u00a0that the company cannot guarantee the sovereignty of European data stored and processed in its services, while\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366632040\/Microsoft-hides-key-data-flow-information-in-plain-sight\">revelations published by Computer Weekly<\/a> show that UK public sector data hosted in Microsoft\u2019s hyperscale cloud infrastructure could be processed in more than 100 countries.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"DigDeeperSplash\">\n<h4>\n\t\t\t<i data-icon=\"m\"><\/i>Read more on Artificial intelligence, automation and robotics<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/opinion\/Digital-sovereignty-about-outcomes-not-theoretical-ideals\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/SAP-Sapphire-2025-Christian-Klein-hero_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/SAP-Sapphire-2025-Christian-Klein-hero_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/SAP-Sapphire-2025-Christian-Klein-hero.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Digital sovereignty about outcomes, not theoretical ideals<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Christian-Klein-SAP-CREDIT-SAP-SE-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"ChristianKlein\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Christian\u00a0Klein<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366633421\/Ministry-of-Justices-OpenAI-deal-paves-way-to-sovereign-AI\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero Images\/Justice-law-court-davidfranklin-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/Justice-law-court-davidfranklin-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/Justice-law-court-davidfranklin-adobe.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Ministry of Justice\u2019s OpenAI deal paves way to sovereign AI<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Cliff-Saran-Sep-2022-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"CliffSaran\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Cliff\u00a0Saran<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366633473\/Government-faces-questions-about-why-US-AWS-outage-disrupted-UK-tax-office-and-banking-firms\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/German\/article\/cloud-service-outage-2-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/German\/article\/cloud-service-outage-2-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/German\/article\/cloud-service-outage-2-adobe.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Government faces questions about why US AWS outage disrupted UK tax office and banking firms<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Caroline-Donnelly-CW-contributor-2022-140x180px.JPG\" alt=\"CarolineDonnelly\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Caroline\u00a0Donnelly<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366632179\/Cloud-provider-publishes-tech-sovereignty-plan-for-UK\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/cloud-computing-2-jijomathai-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/cloud-computing-2-jijomathai-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/HeroImages\/cloud-computing-2-jijomathai-adobe.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Cloud provider publishes \u2018tech sovereignty\u2019 plan for UK<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Sebastian-Klovig-Skelton-CW-contributor.jpg\" alt=\"SebastianKlovig Skelton\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Sebastian\u00a0Klovig Skelton<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366637125\/Campaigners-urge-UK-to-develop-digital-sovereignty-strategy\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Elida Schewe<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tierney &#8211; stock.adobe.com UK digital rights campaigners have urged UK parliamentarians to implement a digital sovereignty strategy as part of the forthcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to reduce reliance on technology subject to foreign interference By Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data &amp; ethics editor Published: 08 Jan 2026 16:45 The Open Rights Group (ORG) is<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":883796,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22491,2812,46],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-883795","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-campaigners","8":"category-develop","9":"category-technology"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/883795","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=883795"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/883795\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/883796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=883795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=883795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=883795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}