The UK’s over-reliance on a small number of tech giants for its digital infrastructure is a matter of national security that must be urgently addressed, warns a new report by Open Rights Group.
The report, Tech Giants and Giant Slayers: The case for Digital Sovereignty and the Digital Commons outlines significant economic, security, legal, and policy risks, including to democracy and public debate in the UK.
The urgent need for a digital sovereignty strategy, defined as the ability of a country to have control over its digital infrastructure, data, and technology, is supported by the Green Party’s Siân Berry MP, Labour’s Clive Lewis MP and the Lib Dems’ Lord Tim Clement Jones, who have all contributed forewords to the report.
The report finds that Big Tech has used its outsized power and resources to control markets, limit innovation and lobby Government. This not only means a small number of companies have been able to capture the market for the UK’s critical infrastructure but have also been allowed to influence policies that entrench the UK’s dependency. In recent years, the tech lobby has pressed hard to halt AI regulation, limit data protection, and reduce the impact of competition law.