Britons back tougher rules on tech supplier dependence

Netcompany has published polling showing that most Britons see reliance on a small number of technology providers as a national security issue. The survey also found strong support for greater transparency and easier switching between suppliers.

The findings point to concern over how the UK government and other organisations buy and manage critical technology, including artificial intelligence systems and data infrastructure. In the poll of 2,000 adults, 69% said digital sovereignty should be treated as a matter of national security rather than simply a technology issue.

Only 10% of respondents said the UK should aim to be technologically self-sufficient, suggesting there is little support for a closed domestic market. Instead, the research points to support for a more diversified approach, with 67% saying the UK should reduce its reliance on any single country or company for critical technology.

That view extended to procurement. The same proportion said they would choose technology that is slightly more expensive but more resilient and easier to switch away from, while 12% would choose the cheapest option.

The results come as questions over supplier concentration in UK technology spending attract wider attention. Netcompany cited independent research by the Institute for Public Policy Research, which found that 150 suppliers account for 83% of UK public-sector technology spending, with the largest 15 accounting for 49%.

Supplier concentration

The issue has grown in significance as public services and private organisations add AI tools and cloud-based systems to core operations. For departments handling tax, health, welfare and other essential services, the ability to replace a supplier without disruption is increasingly tied to resilience as well as cost.

The polling found that nearly three quarters of respondents, 73%, believe the government should know how it would replace a critical technology supplier before entering a major contract. A similar share said they would be concerned if political tensions with another country restricted access to critical technology, while 71% said they would worry if a major foreign provider suddenly withdrew services from the UK.

Concern over foreign control of data also featured strongly. Nearly eight in ten respondents, 78%, said they would be concerned if a foreign government gained unauthorised access to sensitive data held by a technology provider used in the UK.

Demand for transparency was one of the strongest themes in the survey. More than eight in ten people, 83%, said it is important to know who owns and controls the technology the UK relies on, where data is stored and who can access it. At the same time, 43% said they do not believe the government is currently transparent about the technology and data it uses.

Calls for disclosure appeared to extend beyond Whitehall procurement. The polling showed that 69% want the government to publish more information about the suppliers it relies on for essential public services, while 70% want more visibility over which companies and countries handle their personal data.

Another 71% said companies handling sensitive UK data should have to prove that the UK can regain control if necessary. The findings suggest public concern is focused less on where a supplier is based and more on whether systems can be overseen, audited and replaced when needed.

Richard Davies, UK Country Managing Partner at Netcompany, said: "Digital sovereignty should be about choice, not walls. Britain does not need to retreat from the global technology market or build everything itself. It needs the transparency and flexibility to avoid becoming dependent on any one supplier, company or country."

Davies linked that argument to the company's work across public services.

He added: "The public understands that this is a question of national security. People want to know who runs the technology systems they rely on. That's a fair ask of government and of every supplier, including us. As a business working on services from HMRC to the NHS, we know that a resilient digital state needs openness about who supplies it, open competition, a broad supplier base and systems that can be changed without bringing essential services to a halt."

Industry view

The survey also found support for more government action. Some 72% said the government should do more now to protect Britain from disruption caused by dependence on foreign technology, and the same share said it should adopt a long-term strategy for digital sovereignty.

Views on AI were similarly cautious. Netcompany said 67% want alternative AI systems to be available if a foreign provider becomes a security risk, while 72% want Britain to avoid becoming overly dependent. A further 58% said they would choose greater UK control over access to the most powerful system.

Julian David OBE, Chief Executive Officer of techUK, said: "Resilience and openness don't pull against each other. That is the idea behind techUK's Confident Sovereignty framework for industry: sovereignty through capability, confidence through openness. The UK's strength as a tech nation comes from being open to the best technology and talent from around the world, and the public clearly understands that. What people are asking for is confidence: knowing who supplies the systems behind our public services, being able to change course if needed, and having a clear plan for when something goes wrong. That rests on capability and control, not on where a supplier is headquartered. Transparency, interoperability and a strong, diverse supplier base, including UK SMEs, are how we build that confidence. Industry and government need to work together to make it the norm."