Alternatives in UKJan 27

I said this was an #EDM I could get behind. I did, and now so can you!

Ask your MP to support a #UK #DigitalSovereignty Strategy https://action.openrightsgroup.org/protect-britain%E2%80%99s-digital-backbone-%E2%80%94-ask-your-mp-act

cc @toychicken

Protect Britain’s Digital Backbone — Ask Your MP to Act

Take action! What’s the problem? The UK’s digital backbone. The cloud services, data systems, and platforms that underpin government, public services, and democratic processes is dangerously reliant on a small number of foreign tech companies. Much of this critical digital infrastructure is controlled by US-based firms such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Palantir, whose services are embedded across government and the public sector. Other key providers are based in Israel and China. Together, these companies operate systems that are essential to how the UK state functions day to day.

Open Rights Group
Show threadRichRARobi

@alt_in_uk @toychicken

Due to the greed of outsourcing, the #ukgovernment including local government does not have joined up computing.

Communication is fraught.

As illustrated by the debacle of the #oppressive one-login, each service has its own entry system, separate database, and possibly runs on an out of date operating system.

When the 'mainframe' was replaced by first mini-computers and then the PC, the uk descended into chaos.

Considerable consolidation and update is needed

Jan 27 at 10:01amMastodon for iOS
Show threadLeigh GarlandJan 27

@RichRARobi to be fair, it was considered unethical to have a single database for all government services because of the threat of internal misuse and external vulnerability. As ever, ease-of-use, is ever at odds with security.

Certainly systems, that I have worked on have been deliberately isolated, and this is challenging for joined up government services. I haven't seen any out of date operating systems for a long time, but I'm not saying it doesn't happen.

Show threadRichRARobiJan 27

@toychicken

My experience with local government could have been a 'worst case', depending a lot on local management, insufficient funding, minimised support staff, etc.

Piecemeal outsourcing was a major factor.

Show threadLeigh GarlandJan 27
@RichRARobi ohh that's a good point. I hadn't thought about local government. Even just interacting with the East Cambs website is an exercise in extreme patience. God knows what it's like behind the scenes.