# UK businesses demand data control amid AI fears

> Half of British firms want sovereignty over sensitive data as AI adoption stalls over security concerns.
- Title: UK businesses demand data control amid AI fears · TechRadar
- Summary: Half of British firms want sovereignty over sensitive data as AI adoption stalls over security concerns. AI adoption is being blocked by data security fears…
- Keywords: uk businesses, artificial intelligence, data security, digital sovereignty, ai adoption, data privacy, cloud computing, data residency, gdpr, expereo, idc, technology
- Source: TechRadar — https://techradar.com/pro/half-of-uk-businesses-say-ai-fears-mean-they-want-more-control-over-their-data-as-calls-for-digital-sovereignty-grow
- Published: 2026-09-17T11:30:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: uk businesses, artificial intelligence, data security, digital sovereignty, ai adoption, data privacy, cloud computing, data residency, gdpr, expereo, idc, technology
## Half of UK firms want data control
One in two UK enterprises now demand greater control over their most sensitive data, with 29% treating digital sovereignty as a top priority for business strategy.
## Security fears block AI adoption
More than half of UK organizations cite security and privacy as major barriers to AI adoption, while 56% of tech leaders worry AI could create new security risks.

> security and privacy remains one of the biggest barriers to AI adoption
## Sovereignty means data movement too
Digital sovereignty extends beyond where data is stored to include how it moves between networks and clouds, requiring greater transparency and visibility across all systems.
## Customers demand localized data
A quarter of surveyed organizations report that customers and partners are actively pressuring them to keep data local, adding external momentum to sovereignty demands.
## Sovereignty drivers vary by region
Europe prioritizes GDPR compliance while the US focuses on national security, but AI adoption concerns unite all regions in demanding greater data control and visibility.
## Investment shift toward sovereignty
More than a quarter of UK businesses now rank digital sovereignty as a leading driver of their technology investments going forward.
## Key takeaway

AI adoption is being blocked by data security fears, pushing companies to demand control over where and how their data moves, not just where it sits.