Britons see dependence on a small number of technology providers as a national security risk, but few want the country to go it alone. That is the finding of Censuswide polling of 2,000 UK adults, conducted between 12 and 14 October 2026 and commissioned by IT services firm Netcompany.
Some 69 percent said digital sovereignty should be treated as a national security matter rather than simply a technology issue, yet only 10 percent want the UK to be technologically self-sufficient. Two thirds (67 percent) want alternative AI systems available if a foreign provider becomes a security risk, and the same proportion would pick technology that costs slightly more but is more resilient and easier to switch away from. Only 12 percent would choose the cheapest option.
Transparency scored highly. Eighty-three percent say it matters to know who owns and controls the technology the UK relies on, where data is stored and who can access it, and 43 percent do not think the government is currently transparent about it. Seventy-three percent say government should know how it would replace a critical supplier before signing a major contract.
The release cites recent IPPR research on Britain's technology dependencies, which found 150 suppliers account for 83 percent of UK public-sector technology spend, with the largest 15 taking 49 percent.
“Digital sovereignty should be about choice, not walls,” said Richard Davies, UK country managing partner at Netcompany. He said the UK needs transparency and flexibility rather than retreat from the global technology market.
Julian David OBE, chief executive of techUK, took a similar line. “Resilience and openness don't pull against each other,” he said, pointing to the trade body's Confident Sovereignty framework.
Netcompany is calling for an approach built on transparency, supplier diversity, interoperability and the ability to switch suppliers.
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