Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the extent to which foreign-owned technology platforms operating in the UK may be compelled by overseas governments to share user data; and what steps she is taking to protect against espionage and national security risks arising from such arrangements.

All organisations processing personal data in the UK must comply with the UK’s data protection framework.

The UK has strong safeguards to ensure that data is collected and handled responsibly and securely. Companies registered in the UK are subject to our legal framework and regulatory jurisdiction. Personal data transfers abroad are subject to a high level of legal protection. Failure to comply can result in enforcement action.

As threats to UK data evolve our response will be agile and proportionate. We actively monitor threats to UK data and will not hesitate to take further action if necessary to protect our national security.