UK MPs warn US cloud dominance threatens national security and data sovereignty
Parliamentarians say the UK's reliance on American cloud providers creates a strategic vulnerability, as US law could compel data access or shut down services.
Members of the UK Parliament have raised alarms that the country’s essential public services, including the NHS, the defence ministry and tax administration, are increasingly hosted on American cloud providers, creating a strategic and economic vulnerability.
Recent US decisions to block AI firms from sharing tools with Britain illustrate the risk. The committee estimates government cloud spending at roughly £1 billion a year, with AWS and Microsoft accounting for as much as 80% of purchases, though exact dependence is unclear. While building a home-grown competitor is seen as unlikely, officials suggest cooperation with France and Germany, noting that other European nations are shifting to sovereign cloud options. Critics also warn that the concentration of US providers poses a greater monopoly threat than AI itself.
Why it matters
Dependence on US cloud services could let foreign law override UK data protection, jeopardising critical national functions.
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