In September, a partnership agreement between the governments of the United Kingdom and the United States with Google Cloud, worth £ 400 million, was officially formalized. This is yet another confirmation of the growing interest of government agencies in the services provided by major technology corporations.
As stated in the press release from the UK Ministry of Defence, dated September 12, this partnership will enable specialists in defence intelligence and national security to use advanced Google Cloud technologies, including artificial intelligence, data analytics, and cybersecurity tools, for sharing classified information between allies and achieving superiority over the adversary.
Analysts see the UK’s agreement with Google as a potential threat to digital sovereignty, citing precedents such as the Microsoft vs. the US government case regarding access to data stored overseas.
The integration of a foreign IT corporation into the structure of national governance inevitably raises the question of the degree of actual control over the system and authority in making key decisions. Furthermore, the issue of mechanisms for protecting national interests in case of non-fulfillment of obligations by the technological partner remains unresolved, which raises questions about contingency planning and responsibility escalation mechanisms.