Cybersecurity Bill: ORG calls on MPs to reduce UK reliance on US tech companies

Open Rights Group has called on MPs to implement a digital sovereignty strategy to reduce the UK’s reliance on US tech companies, such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Palantir, for its digital infrastructure. The digital rights campaigners have urged parliamentarians to make the strategy a requirement in the Cybersecurity and Resilience Bill, which has its second reading in the House of Commons today Tuesday 6 January 2026.

James Baker, ORG’s Platform Power Programme Manage said:

“Just as relying on one country for the UK’s energy needs would be risky and irresponsible, so is overreliance on US companies to supply the bulk of our digital infrastructure.

“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.

“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 and Resilience Bill is an opportunity to improve the UK’s control over its infrastructure.””

In recent years, states have used digital infrastructure to wield political and military power:

It was reported 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. As writer Cory Doctorow noted: “Many of us savored 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.

Digital Sovereignty Strategy

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
• Whether sanctions, trade disputes, or political pressure could disrupt systems
• 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 if it depends on:

• A small number of foreign-controlled suppliers
• Proprietary systems that cannot be easily replaced
• Cloud or data services that are governed entirely by foreign law.

ORG is calling for  such a strategy, to manage, remove or mitigate the risks from dependence on hardware, software, or digital services that may be subject to foreign interference.

The strategy should also ensure that Open Source software and interoperable systems, are prioritised in the systems the UK uses and maintains for essential services and across government.

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